Complicated
by caileyfreak715
Summary: Bailey has fallen head over heels in love with Cody, but he has a girlfriend; Barbara Brownstein. She feels heartbroken whenever she sees them together. Can she figure out a way to get him to love her back? Story is better than the summary! Rated for swears and possible LIGHT later chapters. Some Zaya in it too! c:
1. Blue handed stares

**Hi guys! So this is my new Cailey story! I don't know if I'll continue it if you don't like it, but here it is! It is just SLIGHTLY OOC with some of the characters.**

**This takes place when they are 17/ seniors. Cody and Bailey never went out. Barbara and Bob are on the boat, too.**

**Dislcaimer: I do not own the Suite life.**

**This story is all in Bailey's POV like most of my stories are and will be. **

**Enjoy! **

She giggled again but this time it was more high-pitched. The sound seemed to echo around the Sky Deck, and Bailey's appetite decreased more and more by the minute. The noise sounded like the slaughtering of a baby to her.

Bailey looked up. Barbara was sitting across from her and had her head on Cody's shoulder. She was staring up at him while tickling his side.

Cody jumped slightly once again, touching her hand. "Come on, Barbara," he said softly with a smile.

Barbara gave another horrible giggle. "Sorry, Codles."

Bailey wanted to throw a brick at her head. His name was Cody - not 'Codles', or any other stupid pet name the girl had come up with over the past couple of months.

Bailey looked at her smoothie. It definitely looked really good, but it wasn't what was going to cure her hunger. She looked up again.

Completely ignoring Barbara, Bailey concentrated on Cody: he was holding his smoothie to his mouth while flipping through a science textbook. As he read, his blue eyes were so focused and alive. She smiled.

Cody loved science. Bailey loved how much it meant to him. It made him so happy and alive. He could go on and on for days about why he loved it so much. His eyes lit up whenever he talked about a topic that was especially fascinating to him. She, unlike Barbara who didn't know the first thing about science, actually listened and understood what he would talk about. It also made it easier to talk to him because he was extremely easy on the eyes. Yes, he was still skinny, but he had grown taller and was not quite as scrawny as he used to be. His golden blonde hair was combed perfectly and fell just about his eyes. His eyes. His beautiful baby blue eyes. They seemed to capture Bailey whenever she looked at them. She felt like she was falling into a deep ocean everytime she looked into them. All in all, he was a very attractive person.

"You know, if you stare for too long, then your eyes will get stuck that way," Zack said from behind the counter.

Bailey quickly looked away from Cody. "Shut up, Zack!"

He chuckled, rolling eyes. "What?" he whispered. "You're staring at him like a starving woman."

Bailey sighed and said nothing; Zack had no idea how hungry she truly was.

Cody closed his textbook. "I guess we're gonna head off. I forgot something in my cabin anyway." He stood up and Barbara speedily joined him.

"See you in class," Zack said.

Cody nodded then walked off with Barbara closely beside him. Bailey sighed. Barbara was like Cody's shadow and didn't move unless her boyfriend was moving as well.

"Do you want to go?" Zack asked.

"Might as well," Bailey said, almost in defeat. "I'm not hungry anymore." (A/N: This is a Cailey story with some Zaya mixed in there, there will be no 'Zailey' or any of that, but Zack and Bailey best friends in this story.)

They walked to Social Studies in complete silence.

Bailey took her usual seat in the front row. She liked sitting as close to the front as possible. She always found she focused better in the front.

The day dragged on, but by lunch, she was finally hungry enough to eat.

"Zack is the biggest ass hole in the whole bloody world," Cody grumbled as they sat at their table.

"Hey!" Zack said offended.

"Language, Cody," Bailey said, sitting across from him, "and you need to get over your frustration already."

"I'm over it," he mumbled. "I just don't like him."

"Come on, I'm your brother! You have to love me," Zack said.

"Well, there are other things for you to think about - like the science fair," Maya said.

Zack smiled at her. "Yeah, I agree."

Bailey mentally laughed. Zack was a bit rich telling her not to stare. He couldn't have been more obvious unless he wrote 'I Love Maya' on his forehead.

"It will be fine," Cody said. "I've been preparing all year."

"It helps that you're the smartest guy in school," Barbara flirted, caressing his cheek.

Cody blushed a little. "Thanks."

Barbara giggled, closing the gap between their lips. Bailey felt her stomach turn over. Barbara was all over Cody, again. Her hands were gripping his arms while her tongue thrashed around in his mouth. Bailey hated it. She wanted to turn away, break it up, or pull Barbara off of Cody; however, more than anything else, Bailey wanted to take her place.

It wasn't as if her feelings were new. Bailey had liked Cody ever since they met, and as the years had progressed, her feelings and attraction intensified. By sixteen, she couldn't do anything around him without burning with excitement and need. Now, at seventeen, it was past just a crush- Bailey was in love with Cody. She loved him more than anyone or anything and he had her completely. No one got to her in the way that he did, and no one fired her up in the way that he could. Every time Cody smiled at Bailey, her heart skipped a beat and she felt somewhat lightheaded. He was the only person who truly made her feel things.

In spite of all this, Bailey couldn't tell Cody how she felt. She doubted if he even had feelings for her that went beyond friendship. There was once a time when Bailey had thought that Cody possibly liked her, but everything had changed the moment he started dating Barbara Brownstein.

It had happened at the very beginning of the school term. Out of nowhere, London had told her and Zack that she caught the pair kissing on the Sky Deck. Bailey didn't believe it at first. Everything about her and Cody had seemed so perfectly matched, yet he'd somehow found his way to Barbara.

Even after two months, Bailey couldn't understand how it had happened or how they were still together. Barbara was decent enough, but she wasn't right for Cody. He needed someone who was as smart as him and would challenge him. He needed someone who could make him laugh and feel important - not just use him to make out with. He needed someone who could tell him funny stories about being back on the farm in Kettlecorn, Kansas. Yes - Cody needed a girl who was smart and kind…with light brown hair and brown eyes and-

"Bailey," Maya said, tapping her shoulder, "we should get to class, don't you think?"

"Oh, right, sorry," she breathed, shaking her head and getting up. She hadn't realized that she had lost focus or that Cody and Barbara were already gone. Bailey looked down at her plate, sighing once more. Maybe she'd finally get a chance to eat at dinner.

Hermione loved Chemistry. Ms. Tutweiller was her favorite teacher, and she adored doing labs, especially when she was paired with Cody. Thank god Barbara wasn't in this class.

"Bailey, want to be partners?" Cody asked.

She smiled at him; Bailey also loved the class because she got to sit next to Cody, "Sure!" she said.

"You're supposed to add 3 drops of Hydrochloric acid into the mixture," she told him.

Cody nodded. He gently and slowly added 3 drops of Hydrochloric acid into the mixture. Unfortunately he got it on his hand and it started to turn blue.

"Damn it," he cursed.

Bailey chuckled. On his rather pale body, his hand now looked rather funny.

"This is so not funny, Bailey! Now I'm gonna look so weird with a blue hand," he complained, but she could tell he was trying to not laugh as well.

"Oh, your hands are fine," she said. In fact, Bailey thought Cody's hands were perfect. They were the perfect size and fit for her.

Cody smirked, holding up his hand. "Put yours against mine."

Bailey's heart skipped a beat. "O-okay." She licked her lips, pressing her hand to his; her body heated up. Every time her skin touched Cody's, she felt a wild fire blaze inside of her body. Bailey studied their hands. His blue skin against her tanner complexion looked amazing. She only wished that it was his normal colored hand. Bailey would love to see how her hand looked against his pale one.

"My hands are so much bigger than yours," he laughed.

"Yes, I do have small hands," Bailey said, moving her fingers back.

"That's not a bad thing," he said with a grin. "I like your hands. They're nice."

Bailey didn't know what to say; all she could do was smile. Cody kept looking at her, and she slowly lost herself. He was incredibly gorgeous: freckles sprinkled all over his nose, his lips were full and smooth, and his hair was so smooth and golden and hung in his face perfectly. Cody looked so much older and sexier at seventeen, but there was still a hint of mischief and innocence in his features that Bailey had cherished since she was fourteen.

Bailey suddenly heard a noise as if someone was choking. She and Cody both turned behind them; Barbara was practically glaring at them. The two immediately dropped their hands, turning back around.

They didn't say much to each other after that.

The end of the school day couldn't have come soon enough. All Bailey wanted to do was read in the library. She had a lot of homework to complete, and she refused to save it all until the last minute. She loved the way Cody did his a month in advance. He was always way ahead of everyone else.

She was deep in Calculus when Zack came over to her table. "Thought I'd find you here," he said, sitting down.

She looked up from her parchment. "Yeah, well, I thought I'd never find you here unless threatened with violence."

He shrugged. "Cody and Barbara are making out again and…Maya is on the Sky Deck with Bob, Marcus, and Woody." He looked away, pretending to check his phone.

Bailey nodded, feeling Zack's pain. She knew that he couldn't be in the same room with Maya and Bob for too long because he was in love with Maya. Bailey had seen Zack's feelings for her grow over the past couple of years, and while Maya returned his feelings, Zack had simply been too late to discover his own. Maya was now happy with Bob and had been since the end of the last school term. (A/N: I know Maya and Bob didn't actually meet or date, but for the sake of the story, I'm going to make it that way just for this.)

Bailey had to do something for him but she didn't know what. "I've got plenty of books, if you want to study," she offered.

"I may not be having a good day, but I'm not that desperate," Zack said. "I just wanted to come see if you were okay. I'm probably going to go to the hot tub."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I have a lot of work to do, so this is where I'll be for the night. Go get some fresh air," Bailey said.

"All right. I'll see you later," He walked away.

Bailey spent the next few hours in the library. Schoolwork always kept her mind off everything and everyone; however, as the night pushed on, her eyelids began to droop and focusing became harder to do. A smoothie would be the best thing for her now.

She walked onto the Sky Deck. Cody was sitting on one of the chairs, writing fiercely.

"What are you still doing up?" Bailey asked.

He looked up at her. "Trying to finish a bit of work."

She gave him a look. "But didn't you finish tonight's homework a month ago?" Most of Bailey's fatigue faded. She sat next to him. "What are you working on?"

"Science fair," he said.

"Do you need any help?"

Cody looked at her and smiled. "Sure. Thanks, Bailey."

She smiled at him then moved his data table towards her. They worked on the project for the next hour; Bailey loved it.

When they were alone, it was always intense for her. Cody had no idea what he did to her. His voice was deep, calm, and reached inside her chest; the firelight danced across his pale face, making his beautiful eyes glow. He was simply stunning, and she loved and wanted him so badly.

"I don't know why you waited to do this project. Usually you're a month in advance when it comes to this kind of stuff," Bailey teased sometime later as they stood up and stretched.

"It's not my fault. I couldn't exactly do it with…Barbara and all…" He trailed off, looking away. Bailey didn't speak either. They never really talked about his relationship with Barbara.

She hated the awkwardness that had quickly grown between them. "Well, I can understand how she would be a distraction."

Cody frowned a little. "She's not a distraction. She just…we didn't feel like studying."

"Fine! I get what you're saying, Cody," she snapped. They went silent again, and she couldn't look at him. She felt bad for snapping at him.

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed," he mumbled. "Thanks for the help."

Bailey nodded, biting her lip again. She didn't watch him walk out. She sat for a while, wishing that her relationship with Cody wasn't so complicated or that she didn't want him as much as she did. Bailey saw him every day, but for some reason, she found herself missing him often.

When she opened the door to her cabin, she heard Barbara's giggle. She was sitting on London's bed.

They looked up at her as she walked in. Bailey tried to look unfazed. "Hello."

"Hi, Bailey. Did you get all your homework done?" London asked.

"Yep, I'm finally finished," she answered, taking off her shoes.

Barbara raised an eyebrow, continuing to stare at her. She gave her a look then turned back to London. "Like I was saying, Cody definitely knows how to kiss. That boy is a genius with his tongue." Bailey tried to ignore the jealousy that was starting to come over her.

"Barbara!" London whined. "I don't need to know all of this! Can't we talk about something more interesting…like shopping?!"

Barbara tossed her hair, smiling wickedly. "Oh, he is so good, London." She paused then said very clearly, "And his hands…I love how big and strong they feel against me. They're brilliant!"

Bailey couldn't take it anymore. She got into her bed, pulling the covers over her head. She could hear Barbara giggling; she knew that she was doing it on purpose. The two of them had never technically been friends, but ever since she started dating Cody, Barbara had become a lot more condescending towards her. Maya said that she was just threatened, but Bailey couldn't understand why. Barbara had Cody. All she had were her dreams.

Bailey wanted to do something. She needed to make things right but she didn't know where to start.

Bailey Pickett was known to be genius in a lot of ways, but when it came to matters of heart, especially when her heart belonged Cody Martin, Bailey had no idea where to start.

**Do you like it? C: Please review! If you like it I'll definitely continue!**

**Just FYI I rated it M because later chapters might need it….K well please review! Thanks for reading! C: **


	2. Let's come up with a plan!

**Here's chapter 2! C: I hope you like it! Just FYI I changed the rating from M to T because I think swears don't need to be rated as M. I also don't think I'm gonna have real intense 'scenes' later in this series.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life.**

**Enjoy!**

"IMPRESS THOSE JUDGES, CODLES!" Barbara bellowed. Cody, who had been adjusting the beaker of Hydrochloric acid, suddenly turned bright red and closed his eyes.

Zack looked towards the chairs. Barbara was standing up, waving madly. "Cody…why is she here?"

"I don't know, Zack," he said with a shrug. "I told her that I had to set up today."

"Well, do you mind telling her to save the cheering for later?" Maya asked. "We're trying to set up, too."

Zack couldn't help but to smile. Maya was the feistiest person he had ever met; he loved it. It must've been from growing up in Manhattan, but it definitely was attractive to him.

Cody glared at them. "Fine." He stormed off to wear Barbara was standing. Bailey watched him walk off. She was ready for what she knew was about to happen: Cody said something to her, looking down. Barbara then stomped her foot, saying something as well. She was such a bitch. Cody merely shrugged. She turned to us for a moment then tossed her hair. Barbara grabbed her bag and gave Cody a sloppy kiss before stiffly walking away. Bailey looked away.

After Cody set up his experiment, he, Barbara, Zack, Maya, Bob and Bailey went to the sky deck for a smoothie.

While at The Easy Squeezy, the six of them sipped their smoothies. The atmosphere in the room was, as usual, cheerful and lovely. It was a beautiful weekend at sea.

Maya giggled, touching Bob's cheek. He ran his fingers through her long brown hair, pecking her lips. Bailey turned to Zack. He was staring deliberately into his cup.

"Yes! This will look so pretty with my new skirt. Don't you think so, Codles?" Barbara asked. She flashed her new purple bracelet in front of his face.

Cody wasn't paying attention. He was staring out to sea. The gaze of his blue eyes seemed so far away from their table. Bailey thought that the intense and somewhat distant look in his eyes made him look enchanting. He was so handsome. She could stare at him forever. She wondered where he was in his head and what he was doing.

"Cody bear, are you listening to me?" Barbara asked rather annoyed. She tapped his arm.

Cody shook his head, blinking several times. He turned to her. "Yeah, sorry, what did you say?"

Barbara sighed. "I asked if you liked my bracelet. I think it will go great with my new skirt."

"Yeah, it's nice," Cody said plainly. Bailey suppressed an eye roll. She hated that Cody had to engage in a such dim conversation and give his opinion on things that he had no clue about nor did he care for. _If he was with me, I would talk to him about things that we both were interested._ Bailey thought to herself.

"Hey, do you guys want to head over to the gym? It might be fun to play a game of hoops," Bob said.

"Yes, let's go," Cody said, quickly getting up looking like he couldn't wait to leave.

Barbara remained seated. "Why do we have to go there?"

"Because it'll be fun," Bob said.

Barbara flipped her hair. "But that doesn't sound like too much fun. Why would girls want to go play basketball?"

"Sorry but why wouldn't girls want to play? Are you saying that girls don't like sports?" Maya asked angrily.

"No, that can't be it. I mean, you're probably one of the best players in the school," Zack said. Maya turned away from Barbara, looking at him softly. She smiled and Bailey could have sworn that her cheeks went red.

"I agree, Zack. My babe is quite the star, isn't she?" Bob said to Zack.

"This isn't about Maya. I mean…yes, she may like basketball but what about me and Bailey?" Barbara asked.

"Please don't bring me into whatever this is, Barbara," Bailey said trying to sound polite. "I have no problem with going to the gym. I may not play basketball, but I enjoy watching it."

Barbara completely ignored her and turned to Cody. "Codles, I don't want to go." That really bothered Bailey. She can't control where he goes! If he wants to go play basketball, then he should be able too. She doesn't have to go everywhere with him. _If I was with him, I'd let him go play basketball, Bailey_ thought.

"Barbara," he groaned, "We won't be in there all day, I promise. Just do it for me, please?"

Hearing Cody say the word 'please' must have touched Barbara because her features softened. She rubbed his cheek. "All right. For you, I will." She then gently kissed his lips. Bailey looked down again, trying to hide her jealousy.

"Let's get out of here then," Zack said, getting up and leading the group out.

Bailey watched as everyone but Barbara rushed to the gym. Barbara merely kicked at the ground, pouting like a child. She really was selfish. She never thought about Cody. She only thought about herself. _She'll never love him like I do_, Bailey thought. _ I would do anything for him. I would die for him. Barbara definitely wouldn't. She really doesn't love him._

"You know, Barbara, Cody enjoys playing basketball, even if he is really into science," Bailey said.

She turned to her. "I know that, Bailey. It's his favorite sport and has been since he was little." She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, as if the information was new to Bailey.

All Bailey could do was nod. "Yes, and since you know this, it would probably be for the best if you didn't treat basketball like a horrible disease," she said trying to sound as polite as possible.

"I don't do that," Barbara said. "I'm just not keen on watching basketball all day when I could be spending time alone with _my_ Cody bear." She put emphasis on the 'my.' She stepped closer to Bailey. "Wouldn't you agree?" she said and giving her a knowing look.

Bailey felt heat on her neck. She had never really been a violent person, but at the moment, nothing seemed more appealing than slapping Barbara in the face.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Barbara said, stepping back, satisfied. "Do us both a favor and keep the relationship advice to yourself, okay? I seem to have the upper hand here." With that, she gave her a little wave and ran up to the group.

Bailey stayed completely still, telling herself not to explode. What did he see in that girl?

Bailey spent the rest of the afternoon fuming, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get what Barbara said out of her mind. Everything about her eyes, tone, and body language just made Bailey want to-

"Are you okay?"

Bailey looked up. Cody was standing right in front of her. She felt the butterflies in her stomach. "Yeah, I'm fine," she quickly said.

He didn't seem convinced. "Oh really? Well, I've been watching you for a bit and you don't see okay to me. You've been standing here and staring off with that look on your face."

Bailey gave herself a moment to react to the fact that Cody had been watching her. She nervously started playing with her hair. "What 'look' would that be?"

Cody grinned handsomely, shrugging. Her heart melted. "I don't know - like someone threatened to burn down the farm or something."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh no, it's nothing that extreme. I just...I guess I haven't been having a really good day."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He looked away. She became curious.

Bailey touched his arm lightly. "Are you okay?" Cody turned back to her, causing her to melt a little again. His blue eyes were striking, and his lips were incredibly lush. Cody was such a gorgeous person; all she wanted to do was kiss him. "C-Cody, are you okay?" she repeated.

Cody bit his lip, slightly shaking his head. It was barely a head movement, but Bailey was positive that he had shaken his head.

Before she could ask any other questions, Barbara came over. She put a hand on Cody's shoulder. "We're ready to go if you two are." Her tone was sharp but Bailey didn't care. Barbara was glaring at her again. Bailey kept her focus on Cody.

"I'm ready," he said, turning away from her and smiling at Barbara.

"I guess I am too," Bailey said. She walked away from them and to the door. Zack was peering out of the door. "Do you want to go back?" she asked him.

Zack's face was a bit tired and his expression was vacant of anything. "They want to hang out a little bit longer," he said, gesturing to Maya and Bob - they were chatting with each other - "But why not? I doubt that she'll even notice if we leave. Come on." He sounded disappointed.

The two slipped out of the shop; Bailey didn't even look back. She didn't want to see Barbara with Cody for another second. She was experiencing enough heartbreak as it was.

Bailey and Zack walked in silence around the boat. There was a lot to say but both were too bitter to speak. They both knew how the other felt.

"Today sucked," Zack said after a long silence.

"I agree. I can't believe this is happening," Bailey added.

I'm sorry, Bailey."

"For what?" she asked confused.

Zack sighed. "I just feel like I should apologize."

She leaned against the rails. "It's not your fault, Zack. We're both miserable."

"Yeah, but didn't we say that we were going to do something about it?"

"I think you and I both know that it was all talk," she said. "There's nothing that we can do. It's not as if Cody and Maya are dating them for no reason. They're doing it because…they want to." Bailey looked down at her feet and did her best to swallow the lump that was in her throat and blink back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I screwed up, didn't I? I could've had her, Bailey. I was too stupid," Zack said.

"You weren't stupid, Zack, and at least you had a chance," - she paused -"Cody never liked me."

"That's bullshit," Zack said. She gave him a curious look. "Cody is a lot of things on the surface," he continued with, "but inside the guy likes you. I think he's just intimidated by Moose."

"Moose?!" Bailey asked, feeling shocked. "Oh, seriously, he doesn't mean anything to me. I probably should have told Cody that a long time ago."

"Or I could've said something for you. I could have talked to Cody," Zack said.

"And I could've told Maya to wait just a bit longer. I guess we both had things we 'could have' done." Bailey turned away from him.

"What are you two up to?" a voice asked.

Bailey looked up; Woody and Addison were close by.

"Nothing," Bailey and Zack said together.

Addison smiled. "Where are Cody and Maya?"

"Don't know. We lost track of them," Zack muttered.

Woody and Addison exchanged glances. It made Bailey grin. Woody and Addison were Seven Seas High's most interesting couple and probably the sweetest as well. "It's a beautiful day, you shouldn't waste it, unless you're going to find food," Woody said.

"Woody's right. The sun is always shining - you just have to really look beyond the clouds at times," Addison spoke quickly.

Woody chuckled, kissing the top of her head silencing her. "Have fun you two." He and Addison walked off and down the hallway.

"Was that supposed to have some sort of hidden meaning?" Zack asked.

"Knowing Addison, I think it did. She does have a point though," Bailey said.

"And what is it? I guess I missed it through all of the sorrow," Zack said.

Bailey gave him an intense look. "Zack, do you love Maya?"

He gave her a look. "Is that a serious question, Bailey? Of course I do."

"Do you think she's truly happy with Bob?" Bailey asked.

Zack looked down for a moment. "Even if she is, there's no way that he loves her more than I do."

Bailey knew that Zack's words were true. She could both feel and hear his intensity. "Then maybe we really should do something. I'm in love with Cody, and there was a time when I thought he had feelings for me too. It seems as if he wants to say something to me sometimes but Barbara keeps him away from me."

"But what can we honestly do, Bailey?" Zack asked.

"I don't know," she said impatiently. "I guess we...have to make them see that we're the ones that they should be with."

"And how do we do that without just telling them? It can get fucked up if we do that."

Bailey nodded frantically, searching the ground as if it would provide answers. "I know. I know. Maybe…maybe it would be better…if I talked to Maya and you talked to Cody. It might be easier that way. Barbara doesn't let me anywhere near Cody these days."

"Yeah, and I can't even look at Bob without wanting to strangle him. What am I supposed to say?" Zack asked.

Bailey was getting frustrated with all of Zack's questions. She didn't have everything figured out yet but the pressure was making her brainstorm at an accelerating rate.

"I don't know, Zack!" she yelled. "I'm not sure what to do at all. Um, what I think is important is that Cody and Maya first realize how they really feel about Barbara and Bob. I think Cody is unhappy for some reason. He won't tell me but I know he'll talk to you about it. You're his brother after all; he probably tells you everything. So try and figure out what's going on; I'll do the same with Maya."

Zack slowly shook his head. "This sounds a lot harder than you're making it seem."

"I'm not saying this will happen overnight but we have to start somewhere!" Bailey snapped. "Do you have any better ideas?" She put her hands on her hips.

Zack shrugged. "No, but what if all this does is confirm how happy they are? Maya looks like she really cares for Bob."

Bailey touched his shoulder. "Zack, I know that Maya loves you. Feelings likes hers just don't go away."

"Maybe it's Bob that I should get rid of," Zack breathed.

"Yeah, and I can get rid of Barbara," Bailey added.

He smiled at her. "That may not be such a bad idea. She's already stupid. You could drive her over the edge."

"That sounds good," she said.

Zack laughed, leaning against the railing. "Okay, so, I'll talk to Cody. He should know that…Moose 'accidentally' sent your letters to me. Mail overseas can be a pain in the ass."

Bailey frowned at him. Zack was smirking. After a few moments, things made sense to her. "Yes, I believe it can be a pain. Well, as you know, London and I are friends. Sometimes she tells me things…like about how Janice still has a lot to say about you. Maybe I should forward the news to Maya."

Zack's excitement only seemed to grow at her words. "This is bad, Bailey."

"This is smart," she corrected. "If there's one thing that the Cody can't stand, it's competition. We can't let this get us down anymore. What do you think, Zack?"

He merely looked at her in silence for a few moments. "I think…this is the best shot we have right now. I do have to say this though, Bailey, I love you…but as my sister…even as my nagging mom sometimes." (A/N: AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A ZAILEY STORY IT IS A CAILEY STORY WITH SOME ZAYA IN IT, TOO! ZACK AND BAILEY ARE BEST FRIENDS, BUT NOTHING MORE.)

She rolled her eyes. "Well, if you didn't act like such a kid, I wouldn't have to act like your mom. You're like the brother I never had."

"Good because I have no intentions on making them jealous by creating something between you and me."

"Of course. That's past jealously, Zack – it's simply wrong," Bailey teased. She ruffled his hair.

"Hey, why did you two leave?" Maya asked as she, Bob, Cody, and Barbara walked over to them.

"We just wanted some air," Zack said.

"I'm actually ready to go back to my cabin now. I've done enough walking today," Bailey said wanting to get away from Barbara as soon as possible.

"Me too. I'm hungry," Cody said. Bailey's stomach fluttered again.

"You just ate, Cody bear," Barbara said.

"I have a strong appetite."

"I'm hungry too. Food on the Sky Deck sounds awesome!" Bailey said. He smiled at her and she returned the smile.

Barbara flipped her hair. "Well, let's go then. I don't want my love to starve." She grabbed Cody's hands, leading them to the Sky Deck. Bailey's heart sank. Maya gave Zack a look but quickly turned and followed as well.

Bailey and Zack lagged in the back.

"So, are we sure about this?" Zack asked.

"The sooner 'Cody bear' and Barbara are over, the better," Bailey whispered faintly.

They gave each other a quick nod in agreement before catching up with the group.

Let the games begin.

**Thanks for reading! I love Cody and Bailey's relationship so much! ^.^ If you haven't noticed already, most of my stories are written in Bailey's P.O.V. for 2 reasons; 1.) I'm a girl and it's easier to write in a girl's perspective because I know how they think when it comes to guys. And 2.) The show itself is usually more of Cody's P.O.V. so I like writing about how Bailey feels about him c: Unfortunately, it will be a while before Bailey and Cody get together :c Sorry, but I have to do that! I'm still thinking of how I'm going to get Zack and Maya together, but I have some ideas! Well anyways! Thanks for reading! Please keep up with the reviews! I love getting them! Chapter 3 will be up soon!**


	3. Card games and lollipops

**Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite life :c**

"This seems risky," Bailey complained.

"It's not risky as long as we don't get caught!" Zack snapped.

"It is risky because it's lying."

"Well, it's not like you have real ones."

"Who says that I don't?!"

"…Do you?"

"Well…actually, I do."

"How many?"

"Just a few…" Bailey admitted quietly.

"Bailey…what exactly went on between you two?"

"Zack, don't make me slap you! Nothing went on. We wrote each over the winter and then again last year. They were harmless. I don't have any romantic feelings towards him!"

"But you still have them-ow!" Zack rubbed his arm when Bailey slapped it. They both sighed and rolled their eyes. They two of them were on the Sky Deck after curfew going over their plan. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," he said, rubbing his arm. "I'm just confused. I'm beginning to think that Cody had every right to feel what he did."

Bailey groaned. That just made her feel worse. "I feel bad enough, okay? We never talked about anything important. It's Moose. We talked about the farm, a bit about me and school, you, plowing, and more stuff about the farm; nothing important!" she tried assuring him.

Zack tried to stifle his laugh. "God, Bailey, if it was that awful then why did you keep writing to him?"

She felt her face heat. She looked down at her hands. "Because…I knew that he was interested in me. No one has ever really liked me, Zack. I also thought that maybe it would make Cody see that he likes me, but it just back fired."

Zack patted her arm. "You're wrong about that. That's why we're doing this remember?"

She tried her best to return his smile. "I know, but I feel so stupid looking back on it now."

He exhaled deeply. "Tell me about it. Every day I think about all the times that I could have just told her the truth." Zack looked at the scattered pieces of paper on the table. "I guess you should get those letters. It'll be better if I have them. It's not really lying then, is it?"

"What are you going to do with them?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I'll have them on my bed. I'll complain about Moose sending them to me instead of you. Should I open them?" Zack asked.

She thought about it. "I don't know. I guess it would be good. Cody will be curious to know what's in them."

Zack's eyes lit up. "I'll make up some stuff. I can throw in some 'I can't believe' and a few 'that horny bastard.'"

They laughed. She stopped and really considered it. "Are you sure that this isn't wrong? We'll be getting Cody all worked up over nothing and I really don't want to hurt him."

"Oh, this is awesome. As soon as he realizes that you and Moose might have something going on, he'll cave. This may take less time then we think," Zack explained. "It's Maya that I'm concerned about."

"Well, I plan on just talking to her. I'll ask her about how things are going with Bob, and I'll just slip in something about Janice. Maybe you should be there so I can tease you about it," she said.

"I'm just so afraid that she won't care or that she'll have this big, gorgeous smile on her face and just say how happy she is for me," he said. Zack's expression was so lost and anxious. It was strange. The Zack Martin she knew was always determined and not willing to give up. It was only in regards to Maya that he finally let his true vulnerability show. She made him more human.

"Zack, I've known about Maya's feelings for ages. She's just keeping it a secret. She doesn't want to seem weak around you anymore, and can you blame her? She's always been known as your love-sick fan girl. She doesn't want to be that way anymore," Bailey told him.

Zack put his face in his hands. "I know all this, Bailey. You don't have to remind me." He pulled his hands away. "I fucked up majorly."

She smiled and rubbed his arm. "We're going to fix it. We should probably get back." The two packed up their plans and headed back to their cabins.

"Oh shit," Zack breathed as he walked in Bailey's cabin. (A/N: Let's just say Maya, London, and Bailey share a cabin in this story.)

As soon as Bailey entered, she realized why he was upset. Maya and Bob were sitting on Maya's bed playing a game. The couple looked up. "Hey, do you want to joins us?" Bob asked.

Zack began to shake his head, but Bailey quickly elbowed him in the rib. "Sure!"

They sat on the bed on the opposite side of Maya and Bob. Bailey noticed how Zack gazed at Maya for a moment before collecting his cards. Bailey glanced at Bob and felt a bit guilty. She didn't know him very well, but he seemed nice enough. For a moment she regretted their plans, but then she knew it would be for the best.

"So, have you two been in here long? We didn't see you at dinner," Bailey said.

"Yeah, we weren't really hungry. We wanted to get some rest before Zack starts up basketball practice again," Bob joked.

"I don't mind it. I want you to be the best that you can be," Maya defended.

Zack smirked. "Smart words from a real player."

"Oh, I'm a real player. I just miss being able to hold my girl whenever I want to," Bob added. He wrapped his arm around Maya and kissed her cheek. Bailey frowned. The action reminded her of Barbara. It was then that she found her courage. "Well, I think the girls' teams will be pretty tough. I've been talking to London, and she says that Janice is really serious about winning this year."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Please, she's not that good."

Bailey laughed. "She really has it in for the captain of the boys' basketball team."

Zack woke up from his sulk and looked at her. For a moment confusion swam in his blue eyes but then he said, "Shush, Bailey. I don't want to hear about it."

"Why not, Zack? I find it very interesting," Bailey said. She turned away from him and back to her cards.

Bob grinned. "Wait, what's going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Zack said firmly, "Nothing!"

"Nothing is going on with what?" Maya asked.

Zack didn't look at her. "Just ignore Bailey."

Maya turned to Bailey. Bailey tried her best to smile. "It's nothing too serious. I just heard that Janice hasn't really dropped her feelings for Zack."

"That's not new. Of course she still likes him." Maya tucked hair behind her ear and sat a little taller.

Zack dropped his cards. "I think I'm going to go to my cabin." Bailey opened her mouth, but didn't really know what to say. She watched him stomp out of to the cabin.

"What do you think is up with him?" Bob asked.

"He doesn't like to talk about Janice. They did end pretty rough, didn't they?" Maya explained.

Bailey turned to her. She was smiling at Bob and touching his face. "I think I'm going to head to the Sky Deck." Instead of going to the Sky Deck, she decided to walk towards Cody's cabin. She didn't really know why, but she just felt like seeing him. She knocked on the door a couple of times. A few seconds later, Cody answered. A wave of heat went through her.

Cody took out the lollipop that was in his mouth. "Hey."

She licked her lips several times. He had on light blue pajama pants and white t shirt. She tried to move her eyes, but they were stuck to his body. The only word that came to her mind at that moment to describe how he looked was sexy. She was able to drag her eyes up to his face, eventually.

"Um hi, is Zack in there?" she asked. She didn't want him to know that she came her to see him.

Cody folded his arms over his chest and frowned. "You're looking for Zack?"

"Yeah, we were studying in the library and he sort of left upset. I want to check on him," she explained.

"Hmm," he said. He took another lick of his lollipop, and Bailey watched as he dragged his tongue around the piece of candy. She felt heat creep up her neck. "He hasn't come back yet."

"Please, Cody, where else would he go?" she asked. "You're his brother, you would know."

Cody chuckled and opened the door wider. "Look for yourself." Bailey walked into the cabin. Zack's side of the room was a total disaster with an unmade bed, clothes all over the floor, and stuff everywhere. Cody's side however was neat and tidy; just the way you'd expect his side to be. It was attractive to her how organized and neat he was. Cody was the only person inside and it made her more nervous. He sat back on his bed. "I told you that he wasn't in here. Maybe he went to another cabin to mope."

Bailey closed the door before sitting on Zack's bed which was right next to Cody's. "That's very sensitive of you, Cody."

"What did I do now?" he asked.

She smiled; his blonde hair was so smooth. She figured that he must have just combed it. Bailey longed to smell his hair and run her fingers through the silky, golden locks. His hair was so marvelous. "Nothing as usual," she breathed with a smile.

He threw a pillow at her. She glared at him and grabbed it. She walked over to him. Cody began to laugh, and he held up his hands. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry, please, don't hurt me."

Bailey sighed and lightly hit him on the head. "Fine, I won't stoop to your level this time." She gave him one more look and then sat on the edge of his bed. Cody sat up and began to suck on his lollipop again. She couldn't believe it. All Cody was doing was eating a candy piece. He wasn't even looking at her, but somehow he had her in a trance and her body in a burning fury. She felt very hot and felt herself blushing.

"So, uh, no Barbara tonight?" Bailey asked, trying desperately to distract herself.

Cody took the lollipop out of his mouth and put in on top the wrapper on his side table. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Can we not talk about her, please?"

She felt a jolt of hope. "Sorry, are there problems?"

He gave her a look. "No, everything is just fine. It's just…we always end up arguing when we talk about her, and I'm in no shape to do that tonight."

"We don't argue every time we talk about her, Cody," Bailey corrected.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes we do, Bailey. Every time her name comes up in conversation, we end up fighting."

"No we don't, and I can't believe you'd say that. I'd like to think that we can talk about it. We're best friends, we should be able to talk about it without arguing," she snapped.

Cody's face turned red. "Well, we can't, Bailey. I mean look at us now. We're already starting to argue."

Bailey opened her mouth again but closed it. Cody had a point. She wanted to tell him off a bit more, but it was rare that she got to spend time with him alone so she backed off. Instead, she cleared her throat and laughed. "I guess you're right." She looked around the room. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't where Zack is. Woody is somewhere with Addison, I bet, and Bob is downstairs with Maya." Ron frowned at the last part. She was pretty sure he knew that Zack loved Maya. She grinned. He looked adorable with his face crinkly and his freckles coming together. He rubbed his neck. "It's weird. I thought that she'd get together with Zack sometime."

Bailey sat up straighter. "Really? You want Zack to get with Maya?" Cody gazed at her and grinned beautifully. He laughed. "What?" Bailey asked with a smile.

Cody shook his head. "Nothing it's just…you reminded me of Barbara when you did that. She always gets this look in her eyes when she's excited."

Her smile faded. She felt her hear sink. She needed to leave or else she'd start sobbing. She turned her head. "Tell Zack that I came by to check on him." She got up from his bed and hurried to the door.

"Wait, what's wrong?" Cody asked, jumping out of bed. He grabbed her arm as she turned the knob.

Bailey closed her eyes. Cody's hand was so big and his soft, warm fingers were holding on to her forearm so tenderly. There was something about Cody's touches that sent fire all through her body. It drove her mad that someone so tall and strong could be so gentle and supple. It felt good, and she didn't want to pull away. She turned back around. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just tired."

Cody gave her a curious look. "You don't have to leave. I'm sure Zack will be back soon."

"This isn't about Zack, Cody," Bailey whispered almost inaudibly.

Cody's grip on her arm tightened. He moved closer to her. Bailey had to bite her lip. She felt enchanted. His smell was intoxicating. It was sweet and fresh. His blue eyes were so beautiful, and his lips were teasing her. She could see a bit of blue from the lollipop on his bottom lip. She wanted to kiss it off. She wanted to kiss him so badly right now, it hurt. "Then what is it about?" he asked quietly.

Bailey gazed into his face. There was a certain spark between them that couldn't be described. They were so close to each other. Her skin burned where Cody's hand still gripped. It felt so incredible. She loved Cody so much and she needed him so badly. "Bailey," he whispered.

She continues to gaze into his eyes. She couldn't turn away. It was like she was falling into them. They were so blue and gorgeous. The way he said her name practically melted her heart. "C-Cody, I- ow!"

The door hit her head very hard. Cody let go of her and she jumped out of the way. Zack slowly came from the other side. He raised an eyebrow and looked from her to Cody. "Um…am I interrupting something?"

"Of course not, Zack," Cody said as he quickly went back over to his bed. "She was looking for you."

Bailey nodded frantically still trying to process what was happening. "Yes, um, you left so upset and I was wondering if you were okay."

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling good so I went to sit on the Sky Deck," he said.

She exhaled deeply, and ran a hand through her hair. She was shaking. She was still so shocked at what happened before Zack came in. "Well, good, I think I'll just go to bed now." She walked out of the room.

"Bailey, what the hell is going on?" Zack asked from the hallway.

She turned around. "Nothing Zack, honestly. I just came to check on you. Nothing is going on." She didn't give him another word. She swiftly walked to her cabin. As always Barbara and London were giggling on London's bed.

"I think he's gorgeous, London," Barbara said.

"Really? He is a mean and a player," London said with a sigh. She took a piece of her long jet black hair and twisted it in her fingers.

Barbara snatched the piece and quickly began to braid it. "So, who cares? He's not that bad." She noticed Bailey standing there. "What do you think she should do, Bailey?"

Bailey almost dropped her pajamas. It was rare that Barbara said anything to her unless it was condescending. "If you like him, London and he likes you, then I don't see why not."

London smiled at her. "Thanks, Bailey."

"Yeah, I mean take me for example. I've liked Cody for ages and finally I just couldn't take it anymore. Look at us now," Barbara bragged mostly to Bailey.

Bailey turned away from them and put on her pajamas. She settled under the covers and wasn't surprised that Barbara didn't invite her back into the conversation. It didn't matter. She had too much on her mind. She couldn't get Cody's eyes out of her head or the way he smelled. Her arm still tingled where he had held on to her tightly. There was something. There was something about the way he had said her name and the way they were so close that drove Bailey mad. She put on her headphones and turned her iPod to the song that described exactly how she felt; "Invisible" by Taylor Swift. It was really the story of her and Cody's relationship right now.

There was so much confusion going on right now.

**Well there's chapter 3 for you! I don't think I'll have time to update tomorrow, but I'll see if I can! -sigh- Cody and Bailey are just too perfect for each other! C': Cailey forever! I really think the song "Invisible" by Taylor Swift describes their relationship perfectly in this story! You'll see why later too. Please review! Stay tuned for chapter 4!**


	4. Jealousy strikes up

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! ^.^ They make me happy! Keep 'em coming! **

**Here's chapter 4! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life.**

"Bailey, I'm going to ask you again, what the hell happened in there?" Zack asked annoyed.

Bailey shook her head. "Nothing happened, Zack. How many times do I have to tell you?!"

"Bullshit, I walked in on something," he snapped.

She looked at him. Zack actually believed her for a moment. She seemed just as confused as he did. She sighed. "I don't know. I got up to leave because of something Cody said and he grabbed my arm and asked me to stay. We just kind of…stared at each other in silence for a while. It was so amazing." A smile suddenly formed on her face. She held her forearm and rubbed it slowly. She then realized she was blushing.

"Oh yeah, I see that nothing went on," Zack teased, smiling.

Her smile faded. "Oh no, it's not like we made out or anything. It was just a moment, but trust me it meant NOTHING to him. He hasn't brought it up since it happened. Has he said anything to you?"

"No, he really hasn't said anything to me all day. He was gone by the time I got up," he explained. He felt so bitter. Last night had been a disaster and Maya didn't give a shit.

"Well, enough of this for now. We need to work on the Janice idea," Bailey whispered.

Zack shook his head. "Don't bother. I quit."

"You quit what?" Bailey asked.

He didn't turn to her. "This plan. I don't want to do it anymore. It doesn't matter."

She looked at him astounded. "Of course it matters, Zack! If you want Maya, then it definitely matters," she said.

He finally turned to her. "I doesn't matter if I want her. She doesn't want me."

"Oh, Zack that's not-"

"Will you just stop it? She doesn't want me okay? It's not like with you and Cody. Maya and I don't have moments. Bob isn't a dumbass like Lavender is. You haven't hurt Cody the way I've hurt Maya." He stopped and shook his head in frustration. "She's happy with him. I'm just her friend. God, I now know how she felt. There's like this constant pain I have and it won't go away. She loved me once, and I made her stop because I was too scared and too stuck up to admit that I needed her too." He tried ignoring the sadness in his chest.

He learned years ago to toughen up. He was always known as the strong twin. He learned how to be strong and how to swallow emotion in order to get the job done. He had to do it to survive, but now it was all coming undone. Maya always managed to break through his wall. He promised himself that no one would ever find his most vulnerable points; not even Cody, but Zack would gladly show Maya every single one. He trusted her with his weakness. Maya Bennett was the only person he trusted enough to.

"Oh, Zack, I'm so sorry," Bailey whispered. She pulled him into a hug. Zack held her back and let himself feel for a moment. "Last night I left because I made him laugh, and I wanted to know what I said that was so funny to him. He actually told me that I reminded him of Barbara," she whispered sadly.

Zack pulled away and looked at her surprised. "Really?"

She nodded before looking off toward the sea. "Yep, and it felt like I was being slapped in face."

He could relate. "It's a constant punch in the stomach for me. I mean last night it was as if Maya didn't even give a shit about me. It's like everything she used to feel about me is gone, like she forgot about it."

"She hasn't, Zack. Maya's a tough girl. You said, she's tough because she grew up in New York City. She's not the type to just let her emotions run everywhere. She's like you in that way, but she cares. When she used to talk to me about you, there was this excitement and passion behind her words and eyes. She loved you then, and she loves you now. I promise you that." Bailey took his hand and squeezed it.

Zack smiled. "Thanks, Bailey." Somehow she always knew how to get him back on track. He stood up and stretched. "I think I'm going to go find Woody, are you coming?"

"Actually, I'm going to stay here. I brought my book," Bailey explained, adjusting against the chair.

The next day.

It was nice and quiet on the Sky Deck. Almost everyone else was in class but Bailey had a free period. However, at the moment there was nothing really free about it. She had a load of work to do from social studies.

"Can I join you?"

Bailey looked up from her work. Maya was smiling at her. "Shouldn't you be in class?" Bailey asked.

Maya chuckled and sat in the lounge chair next to her. "I have a free period." Bailey gave her a look. Maya rolled her eyes and held up her hands. "Okay, okay, I'm skipping science."

Hermione frowned. "Maya, you shouldn't do that."

"Oh, it's just one class. It's not like I'm missing anything important." Maya snatched one of Bailey's books and flipped through it. She crinkled her nose and raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

Bailey laughed rather loudly. The gesture made her think of Cody. "It's too complicated to explain. Maya, why are you spending your free time here?"

Maya shrugged, "I don't know. I just wanted to talk to you. We haven't spent a lot of time together this year."

"We've both been busy. You've been really busy with Bob," Bailey teased.

Maya slowly smiled. "Yeah, Bob."

She watched as Maya flipped through pages absentmindedly. "So, um, you're happy with him?

Maya looked to her. "Yes, he's great. We have a lot of fun."

"Is it more fun than you have with Zack?" she asked.

Maya's smiled faded. "Zack and I don't really hang out anymore."

"I guess you're too busy for us," Bailey mumbled, looking away.

"What are you babbling about, Bailey?" Maya asked.

Bailey looked at her. "Nothing at all. So, when did Bob become your entire existence?"

"He's not. He's my boyfriend, and I really care about him. He's a great guy," Maya snapped.

"I know you do, and I know that he is. This isn't even really about him," she said.

"Then what is this about…Zack!? Is this about Zack? Are you angry that I'm not throwing myself at him anymore? Is he angry that I don't react the way I used to when I see him?" Maya's face was quickly turning bright red.

Bailey looked around nervously. "Let's go somewhere else."

Maya shot up of the seat and headed for their cabin, and Bailey ran to keep up with her. Maya didn't really slow down for her. She paced down the hall with her hands balled into fists. "If he's mad at me, then you can tell him to get over himself. It's not my fault-"

Bailey grabbed Maya's arm to stop her. Maya looked at her. Her cheeks were rosy and she was even a bit out of breath. "Wow, Maya, slow down a minute. I'm sorry for whatever I said to piss you off. That's not what I meant. Zack is not angry with you."

Maya caught her breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Bailey. Damn it, I don't know what's gotten into me."

She let her arm go and gave her a look. "I think you do. Now tell me, what's wrong?" Maya shook her head and shrugged. "Maya, last time I checked we were friends. You can talk to me."

Maya sighed. "Okay fine, it's Bob. He's feeling a little insecure. He thinks that Zack hates him."

"Zack does not hate Bob. They're good friends," Bailey said.

"Bailey, it's not that simple anymore. Bob knows how I feel…I mean how I used to feel about Zack and apparently he's been rude to Bob lately," she said.

"Maya, I think you should talk to Zack about this. From what I know Zack doesn't have a problem with Bob," Hermione said.

Maya nodded. "Even if he does it doesn't matter. It's not like it isn't Bob's fault."

Bailey frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if he's jealous or whatever then he needs to get over it. He had his chance and he lost it." Maya practically spat her words and didn't look at her.

She folded her arms. "Maya, what are you talking about? You aren't with Bob just to get revenge on Zack, are you?"

"Of course I'm not, Bailey. I really care about Bob. He loves me," Maya explained.

"Do you love him?" Bailey asked.

Maya tucked hair behind her ear. Her brown eyes didn't move. "I think so. We…started having sex."

Bailey's jaw dropped. "You're sleeping with him?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Bailey. Bob and I care about each other, and we're both ready. I want to and so does he," Maya explained.

She didn't know what to do. There was no way that she could tell Zack. She just couldn't. It would break him. "I guess that's all that matters."

Maya frowned. "You don't like me with Bob, do you?"

"Maya, if he makes you happy, then I'm happy. I was the one who told you to get out there in the first place remember?" Bailey said.

Maya smiled. "Yeah, you did. Thanks again, Bailey." Bailey wasn't sure if she wanted to be thanked for that. She tried her best to smile. Maya chuckled. "I wish you would have given Cody that advice before he started dating that whore."

Bailey laughed. "Maya, that's mean."

She rolled her eyes. "What? You know it's true. Cody's great, but he's acting like the world's biggest ass right now. All Barbara has is her body. She's dumber than London and that's saying something."

Even though she felt bad about what was going on with her about Bob, she was happy to hear that Maya didn't approve of Cody's girlfriend either. "Oh, I don't think she's that bad," Bailey muttered.

Maya grinned at her. "I know you're lying. You don't like her either. I see the way you look at her. You don't want her anywhere near Cody. The jealousy is always written all over your face."

Bailey raised an eyebrow. "If Cody wants to date her, then I can't stop him but you're right, she's not my favorite person."

Maya tapped her chin. "Gee, I wonder why that is?"

She was about to answer, but the expression on Maya's face let her know that she wasn't really asking her. "Maya, Barbara and I have never been really close friends."

"I know that, and I also know that you and Cody have always been good friends. In fact, you two are really close good friends, probably even best friends." Maya's brown eyes were bright. She had the biggest smile on her face.

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Yes, we're best friends and only best friends. Anyway…the only reason why I wanted to know if you were happy with Bob was because I was going to help Zack out with Janice," She tried her best to seem subtle, but Bailey could see the bit of curiosity and annoyance in Maya's expression and she wanted to laugh.

"Why would you need to ask me?" she asked.

Bailey shrugged innocently. "I guess for the same reason that you came to me about Bob. I just want to make sure that it's okay to move on. She's really into him, and I'm pretty sure that Zack likes her still."

Maya pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes a bit. "That's great for them. Go ahead…I don't care." Maya turned away. "We should head off to lunch." They didn't say another word as they walked to get their food. Maya kept her head titled up a bit and crossed her arms. Bailey had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She felt pleased that it seemed Maya was bothered about what she said.

"I wish you'd tell me why you have a black eye, Marcus," Bailey said at the table.

Marcus, who was sitting across from her, shrugged. "I slipped in the shower."

"I bet that's not what happened," Barbara said.

Bailey turned to Zack. He shrugged. "It's just a bruise. It will heal."

"Besides, Marcus is a big boy. He'll live," Cody said.

"Oh, that's so sensitive of you, Cody Bear," Barbara flirted. She kissed his ear and laid her head on his shoulder staring up at him. Cody sighed and picked at his food. He didn't tell her to move, but Bailey knew that he didn't want Barbara on him. Since the night in his cabin, they hadn't really talked, and even if they were, they didn't talk alone. Cody always ran off, and Bailey was never sure what to say anyway.

Maya chuckled. "I'm sure he was drunk, weren't you Marcus?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "No way. I am not going to talk about that here. I'll get expelled."

"You guys better leave him alone. It's been a long day," Bob said. He patted Marcus on the back and made a pouty face.

"Aww, I love it when you do that. You look so cute," Maya said softly to him. Bob winked at her and bit his lip.

Bailey took a glance at Zack. He was staring at the sky. "So, um, Zack, when is basketball practice?"

He looked at her. "In a couple of days. Why?"

She had to think about her words. It would be the first official action. "Well, I was thinking about having you and Janice help me with an assignment Ms. Tutweiller gave us. It's over some basketball regulations, and since you two are both captains, I thought it would be best if you two could help me out."

It only took a second. Zack hopped on her thought train and grinned broadly. "Okay, sure, that sounds great. We can work on it tomorrow after school."

"Oh, you and Janice, Zack?" Barbara teased.

"It's not what you're thinking," Zack said.

"I think it's you who needs to stop, Zack," Woody teased.

"I figured you'd like that, Zack," Bailey said with a wink.

"Yeah, anything for Tutweiller," Zack said with smirk. Bailey flicked her eyes to Maya. She was poking at her sandwich with a distant expression.

The rest of the day Bailey was all smiles. She had successfully made a move in helping Zack with Maya. Finally, at the end of the day she was able to talk to him alone. They went to his cabin. "Just so we're clear, I don't really have to help you with regulations, right?" Zack asked.

"No, I just thought it would be a believable story," she said.

Zack bounced on the heels of his feet. "What about Maya? Did she seem to care?" he asked anxiously.

"She seemed down. I ran into her before lunch. I asked her if it was okay for me to help you hook up with Janice-"

"What did she say?" Zack interrupted.

"Well, she said it was fine but of course she would say that. She's not going to just tell me straight up no, I mean she is still with Bob," Bailey explained. Zack didn't seem convinced. "Trust me, she wasn't thrilled about giving me permission."

Zack exhaled deeply. "She is so confusing. She always seems happy with Bob and never gives a shit about what's going on with me. Maybe she really is in love with him."

Bailey's heart dropped a little for Zack. She thought about her conversation with Maya. All day she had been thinking the same thing. "Zack, I promise you that she still loves you, but there's no way that she's going to show it right now. She's too proud…just like you used to be."

Zack made a face as if he had been struck in the stomach. He leaned against the wall. "I try to tell myself that every day."

She patted his back. "Well, keep saying it. It's going to work out. This was a good move."

Zack seemed a bit more excited. "Yeah, you're amazing. I can't believe how clever you're being. I haven't really said anything to Cody yet. I should really get a move on."

"I need to give you the letters. Let's go get them now." As Bailey and Zack made their way out of the cabin and down the hall, they ran into Cody and Barbara.

"Hey, I was just looking for you two," Cody said. He seemed nervous.

"We were just talking about the regulations assignment, Cody," Zack reassured gently. He gave Cody a look that Bailey didn't understand.

Cody nodded slightly and turned to her. "I didn't hear about this assignment."

"That's because it was assigned specifically for me," Bailey answered.

"But why would she give it to you and not me? We're both equally as smart and I play basketball, too. I mean...I'm on the team for starters," he snapped.

"Don't freak out at me, Cody. Ask her if you want to know," she said.

Cody crossed his arms and frowned just like Maya had done earlier. "Whatever, Bailey."

"Why are you so upset?" Zack asked.

"If he's angry, then he has every right to be!" Barbara shot.

"Oh, shut up!" Bailey snapped before she could stop herself.

Barbara gawked and took a step towards her, but Cody put a hand on her stomach. "Babe, can you give us a minute?"

"Codles, I want to stay here with you just in case you need someone on your side," she whined.

"We are always on his side," Zack said.

"Right now you're not. Right now you're just making him angry," Barbara snapped.

"Shut the fuck up, Barbara!" Zack yelled.

"Everything can't be bracelets and lip gloss, Barbara," Bailey said furiously.

"Just stop it, okay!" Cody yelled. He ran a hand through his golden hair and looked at Barbara. "Babe, please, I'm fine. I just have some things that I need to talk to them about. I'll meet you on the Sky Deck, okay?"

Barbara gazed at him longingly. She rubbed his cheek. "Okay, love." She learned forward and kissed him tenderly. When she pulled away, there seemed to be stars in her eyes. Bailey felt the jealousy boil inside of her again. She dreamed to have those same stars. She couldn't imagine the bliss that Barbara must have felt. She hated it. Barbara didn't look or say another word to them before walking off.

Cody turned to them. "What's really going on?"

Zack opened his mouth to answer but Bailey cut in. "I'm trying to give Zack and Janice some free time alone."

Cody rubbed his neck. "What? Why?"

"W-well, if you haven't noticed Janice likes Zack, and he's never really given up on her," Bailey explained. She looked to Zack.

He nodded. "Sorry I didn't tell you, Cody. I just…I felt embarrassed."

Cody shifted his eyes from her to Zack. "Zack, so what if you like Janice? That's great, I guess. Why the hell would that bother me?" Zack looked down. He shrugged and shook his head. "And Bailey, when did you start playing matchmaker?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Believe it or not, Cody, but I do want my friends to be happy. It's good to have someone you care about and someone you want," she said hoping that he would catch on.

She stopped talking and gazed at him. Cody stared right back at her. Once again she was lost in his beautiful blue eyes. She felt the pulse between them again. "I guess you're right," he whispered. There was silence. Bailey looked into his eyes. She searched him for any sign of hope. He didn't give her one. He looked away. Her heart sank.

"Yeah, Bailey would know all about that and so would Moose, right?" Zack asked.

Bailey shot her head to Zack. He was smirking. She was about to ask him what he was talking about but then she remembered. "Shut up, Zack."

He held up his hands. "What? I'm just saying that you teach what you know, and you seem to know a lot."

Bailey tried her best to smile. She slowly turned back to Cody. He was frowning at the floor. "Well, enough about me, Zack. Cody, are you okay with this? There's no assignment," she asked him.

He looked back up to her. His face was blank. He shrugged. "Fine, good luck with it." He turned away from them and headed down the hallway. However, he turned around and said rather coldly, "I'd appreciate it if you two didn't give Barbara such a hard time. She makes me happy and since you two are such firm believers in happiness, I wish that you'd respect my happiness with her." He turned back around and disappeared down the hall. Bailey's felt her heart drop again.

Bailey groaned. "Well, that was a disaster."

"No, that was Cody being jealous. Trust me; he's always an ass when he's jealous. This is good news. I'm glad that I added that," Zack said with glee.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked uncertainly.

Zack smiled. "I may not have a clue about Maya, but I know an awful lot about my own twin brother."

She tried to find comfort in his words. "He seemed so angry with us about the stupid Barbara thing."

He rolled his eyes. "He needed to get us with something. He does that a lot. We had him with Moose, so he threw in Barbara. Why did you bring up Janice, though?"

"Well, it's not enough that we know. It's so much more effective if Cody thinks you like Janice, and Maya thinks I like Moose," Bailey explained.

He nodded in agreement. "That won't be too hard. As soon as Cody sees the letters, he'll go off and probably demand details for Maya and me."

"Let's start by getting those letters," she said.

"Yes, let's. I don't think we'll need too many of them however," he said while smiling.

Bailey blinked several times in confusion. "What are you saying?"

Zack gave an exaggerated shrug and smirked. "Don't know, just know that you should have a bit more faith in Cody." He started walking down the hall and Bailey followed at his heels.

All the way to dinner he wouldn't tell her what he meant, but she had some faith that it meant what she was hoping it did.

**So I did find time! Yay! :D Please keep reviewing! I love getting them! Please do it! It only takes like 30 seconds! Please, please, please! **

**Chapter 5 will be up tomorrow hopefully! Stay tuned!**


	5. An individual basketball practice

**Hi guys! Thanks again so much for the nice reviews! :D It makes me so happy that people like this story! Just FYI I'm gonna make this chapter more about Zack and Maya because they haven't had as many moments as Cody and Bailey yet, so sorry if you don't ship Zaya.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suite Life.**

**Enjoy!**

Zack pulled the letter out of his pocket as they sat down at the table. "Tell Moose to check where he sends his letters next time." Bailey's brown eyes lit up, and she quickly took the letter.

"Oh, who is that from?" Woody asked.

"No one you would know," Bailey mumbled.

"Woody, he's Bailey's old friend from Kettlecorn," Zack teased.

Bailey laughed a bit. "Don't give me that look. We still talk. It's not a big deal."

"Please, I'm sure it is," Marcus said. While Bailey's cheeks turned a faint pink, the table laughed. Zack stopped however when he saw Cody followed by Barbara come to the table. He sat next to Maya. He had a frown on his face.

"Cody, did you know that Bailey is going out with Moose?" Maya asked.

"I am not dating Moose," Bailey answered.

Cody rolled his eyes and poured himself some cereal. "If you two are sending love letters back and forth, then what do you call it?"

Zack quickly glanced at Bailey. She raised an eyebrow. The truth is, she did feel bad about this. All those letters were fake and written by her and Zack. She just wanted Cody to become jealous. She wouldn't tell him though, not yet at least. "They aren't love letters, Cody."

He tapped his spoon on the bowl. "Then what are they? I thought you were finished with Moosey."

"His name is Moose," Hermione said.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend your boyfriend," he said sarcastically.

"He's not my boyfriend," she snapped.

Zack didn't know what to say. He didn't want Cody and Bailey fighting in front of everyone. "Um, okay, I thought it over, and I'd like to have some alone time with each player on the team. The game is at the end of the week, and I want to make sure everyone is prepared." He looked to Cody. "You don't have to worry about coming to practice today and you don't either Bob. Maya, I'd like to start with you."

She frowned. "Why me first?"

Zack grinned. "Because I said so." She shook her head slowly and bit her lip.

"How long are these single sessions?" Bob asked.

Zack tore his eyes away from her and looked at him. There was tightness around his mouth. "No more than an hour. It depends on where I think each player is. This will only be before every game. We'll still have group practices."

"This is great, Codles. Now we can spend the whole day together," Barbara said with a giggle. She kissed his cheek.

Cody turned to her and ran a hand through her hair. "That's right," he said softly. He leaned forward and kissed her.

"Oh, please, get a room," Maya said before making gagging noises. However, Cody didn't listen. He deepened the kiss, making Barbara squeak. Bailey turned away. She couldn't watch them. She felt her heart breaking again and tears start to fill up in her eyes.

Cody finally pulled away. His face was red but there was something in his eyes that Bailey couldn't read. She knew Cody so well that she could easily tell by his eyes how he felt. Whatever it was, it wasn't happiness. "I say we start now."

Barbara giggled again. "Okay, Cody Bear."

They got up hand in hand. Cody turned to Zack. "Thanks for this. Let me know when it's my turn."

Barbara continued to giggle and pulled him away from the deck. Zack closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself. He didn't see that coming.

"Well, that was fucking disgusting," Maya said.

"Whatever," Bob said.

"I think it's hilarious. Cody and Barbara Brownstein," Marcus laughed.

"Shut up, Marcus," Zack said. He finally looked at Bailey. She was staring into her cereal as if she was considering drowning herself in it.

"So, when does practice start?" Maya asked.

"What?" Zack asked.

She chuckled. "Practice, Zackary Martin. When do we start?"

He rubbed his eyes. He wanted to comfort Bailey, but he couldn't. "Now, we should start now." He got up from the table and Maya did as well. "Meet me in the gym."

"Okay," Maya said. She kissed Bob gently. "See you later."

Zack rubbed his palms against his jeans and gave Bailey another glance. She was still staring into her bowl. He paced in the gym repeatedly. He was finally going to spend some alone time with Maya.

"Okay Coach Zack," Maya teased, walking in. She had on her basketball uniform. Her long brown hair was in a braid.

"Right, let's get started. With you it's a matter of accuracy with your passing." He dribbled the ball as Maya listened to him intently. The two of them started playing. Zack started dribbling the ball. "Okay, when there are other players on you, you tend to throw the ball without much direction."

"Yeah, I get angry and I just don't want to give up control," she explained.

"It's understandable, but you have to remember to stay calm. You're small so keeping the ball close to your chest like this," Zack demonstrated, "will keep them from stealing it. It's also good to keep low when a lot of players are on you."

He tossed the ball to her, and she caught it easily. "Okay, I can try. I'm not that confident with it, either."

"Just practice for a while. Keep low the ground, dribble, and toss the ball. Get a feel for it," Zack said.

She nodded and took off. He watched her with a smile. Maya Bennett was an excellent player. However, as much as he was enjoying himself, he was worried about Bailey. He hoped that she wasn't thinking about giving up.

Maya ran over to him. The sun's rays stained a bit of red burn on her fair-skinned face. "How was I?"

"Great, I knew you would be," Maya said.

Maya grinned. "Thanks." She passed him back the ball and wiped her forehead. "Cody is really something, isn't he?"

"What?" he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. He was all over Barbara, and it was even more than usual. You don't think it has anything to do with Bailey and Moose, do you?"

"Well, you know Cody…" Zack said.

She gave him a look. "Not as much as you do, Zack. You're his brother. This thing with Barbara drives everyone insane."

Zack wanted to kiss her so badly "Are you not a fan of Barbara?"

Maya laughed and clapped her hands together. "I mean if she makes Cody happy, then I have to put up with it. I mean he is my friend, I want him to be happy."

The smile vanished. Maya stared at him. Zack was lost in her large chocolate eyes. "I know what you mean," he said softly.

She nodded and moved closer to him. He could smell her natural sweetness and a bit of sweat on her skin. He had to bite his lip to keep from kissing her. "Is that why you're getting back together with Janice? Are you're tired of being alone?" she asked.

"It's hard seeing everyone with someone. I never really gave it a chance. I was too scared last time," he whispered.

Maya frowned. "What do you have to be afraid of?"

Zack gripped the ball in his hands. He never had the strength to put up his wall around her. He always wanted to express himself. "Losing people…because of something I've done." She put her hand on his leg. His heart started racing. Even more red stained her face, but Zack was sure that it was from the heat.

"Zack, you should be more afraid of losing people because of the things you don't do." She gave his leg a squeeze before letting go.

Zack's entire body was sweaty. "I-I think we're finished."

She nodded. "Right." She flew away without another word.

Zack stayed in the air a bit longer and tried to clear his mind. After leaving the gym, he took a long, cold shower. He let the freezing water sting his body. It wasn't cold enough. Maya's words wouldn't leave him. He couldn't understand what she meant. Girl cryptic was a mystery to him. After changing, he went into his cabin. Barbara was at the other side when he opened the door.

"Oh, hi, Zack," she said cheery.

He tried his best to smile. "Hey."

"Cody bear's in here," she said with a giggle. She opened the door wider. Cody was in his bed tossing a pillow repeatedly in his hands. "See you later, Codles," Barbara said.

"Bye, babe," he breathed. She waved to Zack before walking out of the room. He walked over and sat on his bed. Cody had a vacant expression once again.

"How was practice?" he asked.

Zack sighed. "Cody, about breakfast…"

He sat up. Zack could see a small, red, blotchy mark on his collarbone. "What about it? Sorry I didn't stay longer."

"It's not about that at all and you know it. Bailey isn't dating Moose…at least, I don't think that they are right now," Zack said, trying not to look at the hickey.

"So, I don't care," Cody said.

"Well, you sure seemed like you did when you snapped at her," he said.

Cody ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, I'll apologize. I didn't mean to act that way, and I don't want to upset her. I really just don't care about her with Moose, and I'm tired of hearing about him."

"Okay," Zack said.

Cody stared at him. "So, how was practice?" he asked again.

"It was fine," he mumbled.

"When is my turn?" Cody asked.

Zack shook his head. "I don't know yet."

"But you knew that Maya's had to be today?" he asked.

Zack frowned. "What are you saying?"

Cody raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, but this is the first time that I've ever heard of you wanting to do single practices."

"It was a last minute thing. I was talking to Janice, and she brought it up. I think it's a great idea. Do you have a problem with it?" Zack tried to control the slight annoyance that he felt.

Cody crossed his arms over his chest. "Hmm, I see, and why not have Maya go first, right?"

"Why the fuck does it matter, Cody?" Zack asked.

Cody took a deep breath. "Zack, last year, more than ever Maya was out of sorts. We all knew that. You…you really hurt her."

Zack knew this. Hearing it from himself was bad. Hearing it from Bailey was worse, but hearing Cody say it, killed him. "I know, okay?" Zack whispered.

"She liked you for ages and for whatever reason you just weren't into her. That's fine, Zack. It's none of my business, but it hurt her. I hated how-"

"When is your point coming, Cody?" Zack interrupted. He felt sick, and his throat was tight.

Cody walked over and joined him on the bed. Zack didn't want to look at him, but he did. "Zack, she's with Bob now and she's happy. If you're just playing some game to mess with her, then stop it."

Zack couldn't believe Cody's words. "How well do you know me, Cody? We're twin brothers. I would never do that."

Cody turned away. "I just know how you've been with other girls and I think Bob seems to be making her happy."

"Oh, so now you're on his side? You like Maya with him?" Zack asked.

Cody let out a shaky breath. "I don't know yet."

They were silent. Zack didn't know what to say. It was times like these when he truly realized the complication of his situation. He hated that Cody didn't think it was a good idea for him to be near Maya. "Where is this coming from, Cody? I haven't done anything."

"I just think that it's time we all moved on," he answered.

Zack snorted. "Oh, like you did? You're so much better and wiser now that you're with Barbara?"

"You know what Zack? I'm so sick of you and everyone giving me such a hard time about her. I have a right to do whatever I want to just like Bailey does," he said.

Zack rolled his eyes. "I thought you said that we should move on. This isn't supposed to be about Bailey. Maybe before you start giving advice, you should look in the mirror. For fuck sake Cody, why are you acting like this?"

Cody rubbed his eyes. "Because it's time to let go. You need to let go…and so do I."

"What does that mean?" Zack asked.

He turned away from him and rubbed his eyes harder. "People never get what they really want. Sometimes, you should just take what you can."

"If you're saying that we should settle, then forget it. Codes, about Bailey-"

Code shot up from the bed. "I have to go, Zack."

He didn't even have a chance to stop him. Cody was out of the room before he could get another word in.

Zack fell on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. There was too much to think about at one time.

**Thanks for reading! :) This was an interesting chapter to write. I wanted to make a chapter where Zack and Maya have a moment. Just fyi in case you didn't get it, Zack and Bailey are forging the letters from Moose just to make Cody jealous; so they really aren't from him. This is one of the first chapters where Cody almost openly says that he has feelings for Bailey, but unfortunately not to her. Sorry guys! You're still gonna have to wait. We're not quite there yet! Please keep on reviewing! It keeps me motivated to continue this story! Chapter 6 will be up ASAP!**


	6. Announcement of the Christmas dance

**Here's chapter 6! Thanks again for all the amazing reviews! It keeps me motivated to know that a lot of people like this story! You're all so kind! I love you all so much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suite Life.**

**Enjoy!**

Bailey gazed out to sea. Winter was on its way. The weather was chilly and the breeze usually stung her skin. Without the snow, winter was harsh and depressing. She could easily identify with the atmosphere.

"Hey, are you paying attention?"

Bailey turned back to the table. Cody had an amused expression on his face. "Of course I am," she whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really, well, you seemed to be out the window a minute ago. Where did you go?" He smiled at her. His lips stretched deliciously, and his curiosity lit up his blue eyes. She tried her best not to be trapped in the bright blueness again.

"I went to a place where blonde boys don't ask stupid questions," she mumbled.

Cody smirked at her. "Well, that doesn't sound very fun." He laughed and she couldn't help but laugh with him.

"Now, I think we should talk about December," Ms. Tutweiller said rather loudly. Cody and Bailey instantly quieted and sat up straight. They were in the middle of their weekly top student meeting. "After much thought and debate, we've decided to have a small Christmas party."

Hannah (A/N: random name) gasped and raised her hand. "Will it be like a formal dance?"

"Well, Hannah, it will have the same ideas as a formal dance, yes."

"I didn't know Seven Seas High had regular Christmas parties," Cody blurted.

Ms. Tutweiller gave a small smile. "We don't but the seniors put up a very good fight for this, I thought this would be…fun."

Bailey smiled at her and nodded in support. "What can we do to help?" she asked.

Ms. Tutweiller grinned at her. "That's very nice of you to ask, Bailey. We need to organize the decorations. We need to think of a menu and a theme for this dance. It will only be juniors and seniors. This is a special occasion for the upper classes. I will assign you all jobs. We have about a month to plan and prepare. It will be the weekend before exams. So, start thinking of ideas. By our next meeting I want everyone to have something to contribute."

"Can we have live music?" Hannah asked.

Ms. Tutweiller gave her a look. "We will discuss the matter at the next meeting. I should say this, as top students, you all must attend. You will be the main chaperons. Mr. Moseby will have the night off. This means no disciplinary trouble from you all. I expect you all to act and dress appropriately. But I still want it to be fun!" Bailey looked to Cody. He looked like he was planning something in his head.

After the meeting, Bailey and Cody walked down the hallway to head back to the Sky Deck.

"At least you have a tux. It was nice of your mom to buy it for you," Bailey said.

Cody pouted at the ground. "I guess. I can't believe that we're having another dance. The last one was a disaster."

Bailey nodded in agreement. The international dateline dance was at the top of her list of events to forget. She was so close to kissing Cody that night! "Yeah, but it won't be like that this year."

Cody rubbed his neck. "I guess. Barbara will be happy to hear about this. She'll go all around the boat screaming about it. She loves dancing."

Bailey tried to seem interested. "That would be something to see. I don't think Zack will be happy to hear about it. He hates dancing."

He laughed. "At least he'll know to ask Janice right away." She didn't know what to say. She had no idea who she would go with.

"So, Cody, are you going to wow us with you 'amazing' dancing this year?" They turned around. Theo (A/N: remember him? That rich snobby kid from TSLOZAC in one episode where he was friends with Zack but was mean to Cody? Yeah that's him.) and some girl who Bailey didn't know sneered at them. Bailey instinctively grabbed Cody's arm.

However, he didn't move. "Screw you, Theo. I don't feel like arguing with you."

Theo didn't care. He and the girl walked closer to them. Bailey sighed quietly. Theo had nothing better to do than piss of Cody. Zack had learned early to ignore his stupidity but Cody not so much. It only took one comment from Theo to have his face red and fists clenched. At times Bailey thought it was ridiculous, but most of the time she found it sexy. Cody was a sweet guy. Yes, he got sarcastic, but he was a naturally sweet person. She loved seeing him fuming and aggressive. It excited her.

"What, are you upset that you have to go to the dance? I know that you must be worried that Barbara is going to tower over you in her heels; not that she doesn't already," Draco said slowly. The girl giggled and smirked.

"Come on, Cody. We'll come back when he learns to shut up," she said, pulling his arm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Bailey. I didn't notice you there. I guess I'm not the only one," Theo said. Bailey looked into his eyes. There was no warmth at all. He smirked. "Did I offend you? Who are you going to the ball with?"

"Why do you care, Theo? Are you planning on asking her?" Cody shot.

Theo laughed. "Fuck, no. I paid good money for my tuxedo. Why would I want farm mulch ruining them? No, I was curious because Moose isn't around this year, and I don't think there will be any other desperate cowboys to go with."

"Even Cody has a date. How pathetic does that make you feel, Bailey?" The girl asked.

"Shut up," Bailey whispered.

"Why don't you two go screw yourselves? We all know that you'll be going together. It will be the rat and the pig. It's a great couple, really." Cody's face flushed and he spat his words.

The girl put her hands on her hips. Theo frowned at him. "Hmm, who will Zack go with? There's a rumor that he has a thing for Janice. She's such a sucker for guys with no class."

"Then I guess she'll ask you because you have zero class," Cody growled.

Theo laughed. "Then again, he could ask Bailey."

"Oh, Zack and Bailey! How sweet and perfect," the girl chimed in sarcastically.

Cody stared at them. Theo shrugged. "Just a thought." He smirked and took the girl's hand and led her down the hall.

Bailey watched them walk around a corner. She didn't let go of Cody's arm. In fact, she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the vibrations from his heart against his chest. It was beating rapidly. She clutched his body. She couldn't help it. Even through his shirt, she could feel his warm skin. He wrapped his arms around her too. She rested her head on his chest. Her heartbeat picked up as well. Cody put his hands on hers. They were so warm.

"I'm sorry. I just got really angry," he said.

"It's okay. I'm just glad that you didn't go after him. You don't need any detentions. I think Theo was trying to get you in trouble before the dance," she responded. She didn't remove her head from his chest. It felt so good to hold him.

"I really hate him," he said.

"I know you do, but you can't let what he says get to you. It's what Theo wants. He has nothing else going on in his life. He's jealous." Bailey took in his scent. It was a bit like apples.

"What does he have to be jealous of?" Cody asked. "I don't have anything that he wants."

"Cody, money isn't everything. He's an ass, and you're not. People love you and want you around. You're so smart and kind to people. I don't think Theo can say the same," she answered.

"I don't care what he thinks of me. I hate it when he talks about my friends and family." Cody gave a heavy sigh, and Bailey bit her lip. She couldn't believe that they were still holding each other in the hallway.

"I know that, and he does, too. Cody, everyone knows how protective you are of the people you care about. It's so incredible." She noticed how her tone was soft and low. She couldn't help it.

"You-you think I'm incredible?" Cody's voice was barely a whisper.

Bailey smiled and held him tighter. "Of course I do."

Cody finally let go of her hands and pulled away. He turned to her. Though his breathing was normal, his face was flushed. She looked up at him. He gazed at her with droopy eyelids. He opened and closed his mouth several times as if he wanted to say something and flushed even more. Cody bit his lip. They stared at each other. She had never felt so electrified before. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him right then. He awkwardly rubbed his neck. "I have to go." He rushed past her and down the hall.

She sighed and walked back towards the Sky Deck.

When she finally got there, it was filled with her friends. They were by Easy Squeezy. London noticed her first. She motioned her with a hand. "Get over here!"

Bailey tried her best to smile. She walked over to the group. Maya, Bob, and Marcus were sitting at a table, so were Neville and Addison, Zack was behind the counter making smoothies, and Cody and Barbara were sitting on the stools. She took a seat next to Cody, who looked away. Barbara was on his lap. He put his chin on her shoulder.

"So, Cody's not kidding? There really is a dance?" Bob asked.

"Yep, we're going to have a Christmas party," she said.

Barbara squealed and clapped her hands. She fell back against Cody's chest. "Oh, this is awesome! I can't wait! London, we have to go shopping!"

London giggled. "I can't believe we're having another one," she said. Zack rolled his eyes.

"Zack are you going with Janice?" Woody asked.

"Oh, that's right. You're going to ask her, right?" Bob said.

Zack smiled a bit. "If she wants me."

"Of course she does, Zack," Bailey said. "Ask her."

"You two would be really cute together!" Barbara said. Cody grinned and winked at Zack.

Zack blushed a bit. "I guess I will."

Bailey took a glance at Maya. She was playing with a loose string in her jeans. "Oh, good for you, Zack," she whispered. It was very quiet. Bailey was sure that she was the only one to hear it.

"That makes all of us with dates! Well, except for Bailey," Barbara said.

Bailey turned from Ginny and looked to her. "Excuse me?"

Barbara flipped her hair. "Well, all of the seniors have dates. It would be weird if you didn't have one. Oh, and you're chaperoning so you definitely need one."

"Barbara, do you have to do this?" Cody asked.

She gazed at him. "Do what?"

He rolled his eyes. "Pressure her about a date. We just found out today about the dance. Can't you just leave her alone?"

Barbara's cheeks went pink. Bailey's heart melted. He had never stood up to Barbara for her. "Well, Codles, I was just asking her, that's all. Don't get mad at me, baby."

Cody sighed. "I'm not mad. I'm just annoyed. I'm so sick of everyone always being in other people's business." Barbara's jaw dropped.

"Hey, dude, calm down. There's no need for you to snap at her," Bob said.

Cody gave him a look. "Was I talking to you, Bob?"

Bob sat up. "You are now."

"Bob, shut it! You're just trying to pick a fight!" Maya snapped. Bob glared at her and folded his arms. Maya turned away from him. Bailey glanced at Zack. He was already staring at her. She raised her eyebrow and he twitched a smile.

"Well, I guess I'll just leave since I'm annoying you." Barbara moved away from him and stood up. She sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye before running out of the room.

"Damn it," Cody muttered. He ran a hand through his hair.

"It's okay, Cody. I know that you didn't mean to make her cry," Bailey said. He looked at her. He got up and left the room as well. The rest of the evening was quiet. Everyone left soon after.

Finally, she was able to sit alone with at one of the tables.

"What in the hell is going on?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Earlier, Theo gave us a hard time. He asked us about who'd we go to the dance with. He upset Cody," she answered.

Harry chuckled. "He always upsets Cody. What about with Bob and Maya? I think they're fighting. They've haven't spoken to teach other all day."

"She's upset that you're going to the dance with Janice," Hermione said with a smile.

Zack scratched his head. "Do I really have to?"

"It would test Maya's feelings. She might crack that night. What, do you really not want to go with Janice?" she asked.

He looked out to sea. "I just find it funny that I might have a chance with Janice now, but I don't want it. What about you?"

She sighed. "I have no idea. I could ask Holden."

Zack cringed. "He's a dick, and Cody hates him…it's perfect."

"What if you can't go with Janice, and I can't go with Holden," Bailey asked slowly. She didn't know if she could even consider going with Zack. They were best friends, but nothing more. It would be weird.

Zack frowned. "Is going alone an option?"

"Let's just hope that we can find other dates. I just can't believe tonight." She thought about telling him about Cody. She wanted to keep it to herself but she had to say it and she could trust Zack with this kind of stuff. "Cody and I had a...thing"

"Really? What does that mean?" Zack asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, it's not what you think. Theo said something to really set him off. I felt this urge to hug him afterwards and I did and we didn't let go for a while. Neither of us did." She shivered at the thought of his scent.

Zack grinned. "That's great. I noticed that he seemed a bit dazed when he came in here. I think something is starting to come together. I had some letters this morning on my trunk. He seemed pretty pissed when he saw them."

"Maya seemed really angry tonight," Bailey added.

"She's in a pissy mood. The other day at the practice I got the feeling that she wanted to tell me something but didn't," he said.

"You should ask her about it at the dance. I'm sure that she'll be happy to explain it while you two slow dance," Bailey teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Please, Bob won't let her dance with me."

"It's Maya we're talking about. Bob can't tell her what to do. Besides, even if he did, it would only make her want to dance with you more. That's how she is," she explained.

"Yeah," he said slowly, "she loves to do things her way."

"Just like you," she added. Zack smiled at her before looking back out to sea. They talked for a while but eventually Zack went up to sleep. Bailey laid down on a lounge chair. She smiled and gazed at the sea.

Bailey sat up and rubbed her eyes. She didn't plan on falling asleep on the Sky Deck. She got up and went towards her room. However, as she went down the hall, she could hear people talking. She held back. It was Cody and Barbara. They were sitting on the floor of the hallway. Barbara wiped her eyes and sniffed. Cody sighed and rubbed his hands on his knees.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said softly. He was such a gentleman.

She nodded and smiled. "I just don't know why you're so mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you, Barbara," Cody said. He rubbed her back.

"Then why did you yell at me?" she asked, closing her eyes at his touch. Bailey rolled her eyes. It was so obvious that she faked crying just to get Cody to stop defending her. Unfortunately, Cody seemed to think that Barbara was actually crying.

Cody bit his lip. "I didn't mean to yell. I've had a really bad day, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have."

Barbara gave him a look. "It's not just that, Cody. You always get mad at me when I talk to Bailey."

He turned away from her. "She's my best friend. I'm protective of her. It's an impulse."

Bailey smiled and rested her head against the wall. "And I love that impulse," she whispered to no one.

Barbara folded her arms. "And I'm your _girlfriend_. You can't snap at me every time I say something that she may not like. I just wanted to know who she's going to the dance with."

"I know, I know. I screwed up, okay. Theo gave her a hard time about it earlier. I didn't want to hear it again. Can you understand that? I wasn't mad at you." Cody tucked hair behind her ear.

Bailey could see Barbara shiver. Jealously set in. "Yes, I understand, Cody bear. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or her. I can apologize, if you think it'd be best. I want you to know that I'm trying. If you care about Bailey, then she must be something." Barbara touched Cody's cheek.

He smiled. It was so tender and soft. It was beautiful. "You don't have to apologize." She giggled and leaned in. She kissed him gently. She tangled her fingers in his hair and moaned. Cody placed his hands on her knees. He squeezed them and moved closer to her. Barbara moaned again loudly. Cody broke away. "Your room mates are sleeping. You have to be quiet."

Barbara licked her lips and stood up. "Let's go to Sky Deck, then." Bailey got up and ran down another hallway. She didn't stop until she reached an unlocked classroom. She leaned against the wall and slid down. She blinked away tears, and held her legs close to her chest. She was too afraid to go back to her cabin for a long time.

By the time she finally trudged towards her cabin, she saw Barbara walking towards her cabin. Luckily she didn't notice Bailey. She had a content expression on her face and a tiny red mark right below her earlobe.

Bailey walked to her cabin and lay in her bed and closed her eyes as tears spilled.

But she didn't sleep a wink that night.

**Aww **** Poor Bailey, right?! Don't worry! Cody and Barbara didn't have sex or anything near that. But still…damn Barbara! She's ruining everything! Gahh! Unfortunately, we still have a while before things will start to get happier. I know it sucks, but this is going to be a long story and I have to make some things happen first. This dance that'll be coming up soon is going to be a big turning point for both Cailey and Zaya! Stay tuned and make sure to review! Thanks everyone!**


	7. Author's note! Sorry for the confusion!

**Hi everyone! I just wanted to make a quick Author's note. Okay so I read your reviews and I just want to apologize about accidentally writing a few Harry Potter names in this story. I think it's because on my other fanfiction account which is dedicated to Harry Potter, I had just finished writing a chapter so my mind was still kind of on that story and I accidentally put their names in. I'm sorry for the confusion! I must've gotten a little lazy when I edited it, but I'll try to be more careful when I read it over! Sorry again! I'll have the next chapter up ASAP! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! C: **

**-Sophie **


	8. The big game

**Here's chapter 7! :D Again, I'm really sorry about the confusion in the last chapter about accidentally putting Harry Potter names in there! It was an accident, I'm going to try and be more careful about that. C: Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life.**

Zack pulled on his basketball uniform. He tried not to think too much. It was always good to clear his mind before a game. "Dammit," Cody whispered, walking into their cabin and sitting on Zack's bed. His face was paler than usual and his blue eyes were massive.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked.

He shrugged. "I can't find my mouth guard. I think I left it at home."

"So? There are some more in the locker room. Just get a new one when we go down there. Besides, we don't even need to wear mouth guards, it's basketball," Zack reassured.

Cody rubbed his palms together and exhaled deeply. "It won't be the same. I already broke that one in. A new one will be uncomfortable."

He smirked at him. He knew that he really didn't care about the mouth guard. "Cody, you'll be fine. It's just against the girls. How bad can it really be?"

Cody rolled his eyes. "I know. Everyone keeps telling me the same thing. I don't know what's wrong with me. I guess I'm not very good at this."

"Cody, you're just nervous which is completely normal, and you're actually very good. I wouldn't have picked you if you weren't." He rubbed Cody's arm and smiled. He really did not understand why he was so hard on himself.

"I don't want to be a disappointment. People think I suck. I don't want them to be right." Cody didn't look at him. He studied the pattern on Zack's blanket.

"Hey, don't listen to them. You can't let them bother you. You're great, and I couldn't be happier that you are on the team. I know you try your best and that's all anyone can ask for," Cody opened his mouth but Zack quickly added, "and your best is good enough."

Cody laughed. "You know me too well."

Zack stood and stretched. "Hey, that's what twins are for, right?"

Cody got up as well and pulled his shoes out of his trunk. "You don't seem nervous."

"Hey, I am the cool twin aren't I?" Zack teased.

Cody laughed. "You wish." The two of them ran down the hall and onto the Sky Deck. It was buzzing with its usual pre-match excitement. Many classmates came up to them and wished them luck.

Janice casually walked up to them. She smiled sweetly. "Good luck today boys, but I don't think you'll need it."

"Thanks," Cody said. Though Zack's pep talk helped a bit, Cody was still a little nervous.

"Thanks, Janice, and thanks for the idea about single training. I think it really helped," Zack said.

"I don't mind helping friends out. Well, at least not while we're the ones playing each other. See you." She walked away but gave Zack one last smile before leaving the hall.

Cody smirked at him.

"What?" Zack asked.

"She really likes you, Zack."

"What are you talking about?" he asked with a frown.

Cody cleared his voice. "I don't mind helping friends out," he said in a screeching, somewhat high pitched voice with a bad British accent that sounded nothing like Janice.

Zack rolled his eyes. "So? We're friends."

Cody gave him a look. "She wants to be more than that, Zack. Why haven't you asked her to the dance yet?"

Zack turned away. He didn't know why he was stalling. "I don't know. I've just been focused on the game and getting us ready. I'll ask here once it's over, I guess. I hope she says yes."

"She will say yes. You saw the way she looked at you, and I'm pretty sure that you still have drool on your chin," Cody said with a laugh.

"You're so funny, Cody," Zack mumbled sarcastically. They continued to walk towards their table. Holden passed by them with disappointment all over his face.

"He didn't look too happy," Cody whispered.

Zack grinned broadly. It was a good time to say it. "Well, he'll feel better after Bailey asks him to the dance."

"What? She's taking him to the Christmas party?" Cody asked.

Zack pretended to be surprised. "Yeah, he's her first choice. Didn't she tell you?"

He chewed on his lip a bit. "No." He didn't say another word as they reached their table. The rest of the team was already eating. Zack buttered some toast and Cody poured cereal.

"You guys ready?" Woody asked.

"I just want it to be over," Zack said.

"Then I guess you'll have to step up your game because us girls are going to win," Maya said with a smile.

Zack smiled back at her. "In your dreams."

She chuckled. They gazed at each other. Zack felt butterflies in his stomach that had nothing to do with the nerves.

"So, I saw you talking to Janice. Did you ask her to the dance?" Bob asked rather loudly.

Maya looked down and Zack looked at him. "No, but as soon as I do, you'll be the first to know."

"So, Cody, how are you feeling?" Bailey asked, trying to change the subject.

He looked up at her. "I'm fine."

She smiled. "You'll be great. You're an awesome player."

There was something in Cody's eyes that bothered Zack. "Better than Holden?" Cody asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Bailey frowned at him. "Well, obviously you are. You're on the team, and he's not. Did he give you a hard time or something?"

"Forget it," he said, turning away.

"Oh, my Cody bear! You look so sexy in your basketball uniform. You're going to kick ass this morning!" Barbara was practically screaming as she ran to their table. She flopped on his lap and kissed his cheeks and forehead repeatedly.

"Barbara, please, I have a stomach ache," Cody said, pulling away.

Barbara got off his lap and sat next to him. She rubbed his stomach. "Nervous, sweetie?" Bailey was glaring at her again.

"A bit," Cody mumbled.

"Nerves are a good thing. You'll perform better with some adrenaline running through you," Bailey said.

"Bailey's right, Codles. Besides, it will wear off once you really get into it. I'll be cheering you on. I even made a poster!" Barbara screeched with a giggle.

Zack tried not to laugh and couldn't eat another bite of his toast. "I think we should head to the gym."

"Good luck, guys," Marcus said.

"Yeah, you all will be great," Woody added stuffing his face with pancakes.

Barbara gave Cody a big kiss and then kissed his ear. "Codles is my king," she moaned.

Cody's entire face went red. It matched his jersey perfectly. "T-thanks. Thanks, Barbara." She flipped her hair, locked her arm with London's, and headed out the hall. He cleared his throat. "Basketball really gets her excited."

"I can see that," Zack said.

"I think it's disgusting," Maya whispered.

"It doesn't matter. She'll be rooting for you. I will, too," Bailey said. She squeezed his hand. "You don't need luck. You're great already."

For the first time all morning, Cody smiled genuinely. "Thank you." She gave Zack a smile and walked off. Zack smiled back at her.

"Ready to go?" Zack asked Cody.

He was still smiling at Bailey who was walking away. "Yeah, I'm ready."

They walked to the boys locker room.

"Okay, we've been practicing nonstop since school began and what have we been focusing on?" Zack asked his team in the boys' locker room. He could hear the chants and cheers of fellow and opposing classmates in the gym. He did feel a bit nervous. He wanted his year as captain to be a success.

"Keeping low to the ground," a player said answered.

"That's right. We've been working on keeping low to the ground. The reason is that the girls never keep low. They will drag us out there all day if they can. They're hoping to tire us out, but we can't let that happen can we?

"No!" all the players shouted together.

"Good, so play a good game and this will easily be ours. Hands in guys." Zack held his hand out and his teammates joined in. "Guys on three. One, two, three, GUYS!"

The team roared and headed out of the locker room. Cody stayed behind and Maya walked in.

"Wow, you make a great captain, Zack," Cody said before leaving.

Maya took Zack's hand and squeezed it. "You won't beat me."

Zack squeezed her hand back and stared at her. Her uniform looked really good on her. "I know I won't. Show your moves that I taught you, okay?"

Maya suddenly turned a bit red. She licked her lips and said very gently, "Alright, I will."

"Good, I'd like to see it," he said.

She smirked. "We should go."

It was hard, for many reasons, for Zack to focus on the ball. He was proud of his team. Cody was excellent at stealing the ball. He knew that they would win, yet he didn't care. Zack could not stop thinking about his moment with Maya. She was so confusing. One minute it seemed as if she hated him, but other times he was sure that with a bit more time and privacy, they could have been making out.

"Dammit," he breathed. Yes, he loved her. He wanted to walk around the boat with her and talk. He wanted to hold her while they did homework together.

" Zack!" Bob bellowed as passed the ball to him. Zack broke out of his trance and saw Bob steal the ball away from Janice. Bob was a pretty good player. Zack wondered if he and Maya acted out on the urges that Bob had. It made him shudder. Thinking about Bob and Maya having sex made his skin go cold.

The teams were tied 56-56 right now. There were 10 seconds left in the game. He ran towards the net and slam dunked it into the net. The crowd went wild. The game was over. His team had won.

As always, the Sky Deck was booming with laughter and cheers. Zack stood at the Easy Squeezy and watched his teammates and friends re-enact certain moves and re-tell how close it got at times. He tried to enjoy it, but he was so distracted. He noticed Bailey fully engaged in a conversation with Cody and Barbara. She seemed to be trying more. Zack didn't understand why he couldn't be more of an adult about the situation with Bob. His head was throbbing. He left the Sky Deck and walked towards an empty classroom to clear his head.

However, as he opened the door, Janice came out. "Oh, sorry, Zack," she said, moving out of the way.

"It's okay," Zack said.

Janice put a hand on his shoulder. "You played amazingly, but I was worried about you for a second there. You seemed to be out of it."

Zack nervously chuckled. "I was kinda distracted."

She gave him a look. "By what? I hope it was good. It could've cost you the game."

He looked into her large, brown eyes. She was beautiful. He couldn't deny that. He had always thought that she was mysterious in a way even more so than her twin sister, Jessica. "I was thinking about the dance," he lied.

Janice ran a hand through her long, blonde hair. Her hand seemed to disappear in the strands. It wasn't deep and thick like Maya's. "Yeah, I'm so happy that Tutweiller finally caved in. I was one of the people that persuaded her."

"Do you want to go with me?" Zack blurted out before he lost his nerve.

"Pardon?" she said.

He licked his lips. "Sorry, I meant to ask, do you want to go to the dance with me? It doesn't have to mean anything. I just thought-"

"Yes, I'd love to go with you," Janice cut in. "We didn't get the opportunity to dance last time. I'd love to finally get one in."

He smiled. "Well, I suck at dancing, but I'm sure we can work something out." Janice chuckled and tucked hair behind her ear. "I better get back to the party."

"I thought you had to come in here," Janice said confused.

Zack shrugged. "Not anymore," he said. When he did get back to the Sky Deck, it was mostly empty except for Maya and a few others. Bob wasn't there. She was at the railing looking out at the sea.

"Where did everyone go?" he asked, joining her by the railing.

Maya looked at him. "Holden went over to congratulate Cody on a good game. Of course, it wasn't genuine. Then he wanted to speak to Bailey alone."

"About what?" Zack asked.

Maya scrunched her eyebrows. "He asked her to the Christmas dance, and she said yes. Cody wasn't too happy about that. He left. Bailey left. Barbara stormed after him and the party rather died out. I sent Bob to check on him."

Zack noticed how quiet her voice was and how her eyes were fixed on the stars. "Why didn't you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what to say to him. Bailey didn't do anything wrong, and I wanted to wait for you." She pulled her eyes from the sky and looked at him. Zack had to remind his body how to breathe.

"I just needed to clear my head," he explained.

"I understand that. You played a really good game," she admitted.

"So did you, I mean did you see yourself out there? I almost lost it for my team. Did you see me standing there with the ball? Zack asked.

Maya laughed. "You did seem kind of distracted. It doesn't matter. You won. You're the best player in a long time. Your dad would be so proud of you."

Harry had to look away. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn't think he'd miss his parents as much as he did. "I think about him when I play. I wonder if I make a shot that he would've."

"I'm sure he did. You're a natural. You get it all from him." She put her hand on his shoulder.

Zack couldn't understand how she did it. Maya easily brought feeling out of him. He wanted her more than anything. He didn't understand how he could've been so stupid and clueless before. He had a chance and he blew it. For some reason he couldn't hold it in. Tears skidded down his cheeks. He hardly cried and when he did, it came out of nowhere. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." He continued to wipe tears but more fell. He sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He felt embarrassed for crying in front of her, but he couldn't help it; he just wanted her so badly.

"Nothing is wrong with you, Zack. It's okay to feel upset. You don't have to be strong all the time," Maya said, wiping a tear that he had missed.

He shivered and took her hand. "You seem to be."

Her bottom lip trembled. "I'm not," she whispered. He held her small hand and stared at her. She stared right back at him fiercely. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Zack couldn't stop himself. He leant forward and so did she. He could hear his heart beating rapidly, and he could have sworn that Maya's breathing was shaky. He was so close…

He heard someone running in and backed away and saw Bailey. She was pale, and her eyes were rather red. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

Maya pulled her hand away and got up. "No, it's okay. I need to go to bed. Th-thank you." She didn't look at him. She ran out. Zack sat down on a lounge chair.

"I'm sorry, Zack. I thought that you'd be in bed by now," Bailey said, sitting down in a chair next to him.

"No. I just needed some air," he answered again. His hands were shaky but his mind was moving so slow. He didn't know what was wrong with him.

Bailey nodded. "I see. Holden asked me to the dance. I said yes."

"Maya told me. I asked Janice. She said yes," Zack said.

"We both have dates," Bailey whispered.

"Yeah," he said flatly.

Bailey looked at him. "And judging by your eyes and by mine, we've both been crying."

Zack stared into the fire. He couldn't take looking at Bailey. "Yeah."

She didn't say anymore. The two of them continued to look out to sea.

**Ooo! The dance is coming up soon! ^.^ That's going to be a big chapter! I hope you enjoyed! Chapter 8 will be up ASAP! Maybe even later tonight :o Hehehe! Please review! I love getting them and it only takes like 30 seconds! Again, it keeps me motivated to continue this story! CAILEY AND ZAYA FOREVRER! 3**


	9. Is this the end of Bob and Maya?

**Chapter 8 c: Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite life.**

**Sorry for putting disclaimers in every chapter, but I don't want to have this story taken down.**

At the top students meeting a week later

"And before we leave, let me just add that there is to be NO spiking of the beverages. If there is even one complaint or idea that someone has spiked the drinks, the party will be canceled, all future dances will be barred, and the people will be expelled, are we clear?" Ms. Tutweiller glared them all down.

After the meeting, Cody and Bailey walked out. They had barely spoken since Holden asked her to the dance. "I think she's worried about Zack spiking the drinks," she joked.

"Oh, I'm supposed to be able to control him?" he asked.

She shrugged. They walked slowly in silence. Bailey watched him. He had his hands deep in his pockets, and his head was down. She didn't know what to say to him. "So, you're talking to me now?" she asked.

Cody stopped walking and looked at her. "Of course I am."

She ignored how beautiful his eyes were. They weren't standing very close, but she could feel him. It hurt. "You haven't been. You've been angry with me."

"I have not," he shot.

"Oh, really, so, when you blew up at me the other night, I was actually dreaming?" Bailey could feel her heartbeat pick up. She did not want to fight with him.

"Sorry that I wasn't in the best of moods. Holden asked you to the party, and you said yes. You said yes, Bailey." Cody looked away and ran a hand through his hair.

She could already feel a mix of anger and regret boil inside of her. "It's just a dance, Cody. It's not as if we're getting married. Besides…no one else has asked me. I-I wouldn't have anyone else to go with."

Cody looked back to her and walked closer. "That's not true."

Bailey didn't know how to respond. Everything was always so intense between her and Cody. It always made her fall even harder for him. "Then who should I go with? Who would want to go with me?"

He opened his mouth several times and rubbed his neck. Eventually, he gave up with a sigh. "It's Holden, Bails. He hates me, and you said yes."

There was shakiness in his voice. Cody's deep blue eyes were so open, and his face was stern. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to apologize and explain but fear set in. She couldn't bring herself to say it. "Barbara hates me, but she's your girlfriend."

He shook his head. "She doesn't hate you. She's trying to be nicer."

"Don't give me that! Yes, to your face she's nice to me, but as soon as you leave the room she's a bitch like-"

"She is not a bitch," Cody interrupted.

She laughed harshly. "Oh, I'm so sorry that I offended her. Well, I guess I have a right to defend Holden. He doesn't hate you. He's just angry that you are on the team and he's not. Please, Cody, what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know! What do you want me to do?" Cody shouted.

"I want you both to take this to your cabins before I give you both detentions," Mr. Moseby said from behind them.

Bailey wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Moseby. Come on, Cody," she said quickly before Cody could reply. She took his hand and led them to an abandoned classroom. She closed the door behind them and leaned against it. Cody leaned against the desk next to the door.

"Look, I'm sorry that I shouted at you and about the other day," he said.

"I'm sorry, too," she replied. They were silent for a while.

"It's just this Christmas party is stressing me out…" he trailed off.

She gazed at him. He looked toward the window with the same distant look in his eyes that he had at the Easy Squeezy. "What other stress do you have?" she asked him.

Cody chuckled and started to walk around the room. "Well, there's school, basketball, Zack, my 'top student' duties, getting into Yale, and…other things."

"What other things?" Bailey asked. She walked over to him. He stopped pacing and stood in front of her. He shrugged. "Come on, Cody, you can tell me. If you have something to say, just say it."

He chewed on his lip and moved even closer to her. "You."

His voice was so quiet and delicate. It gave her chills. "What?!" she asked.

"You-you stress me out, Bailey." Cody's voice was just as quiet.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I stress you out? How do I do that?"

He didn't move his eyes from her. "I never know what you want."

Bailey's body heated. Her already rapid heartbeat increased. "I can say the same for you."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to," Cody whispered.

"Neither do I. I didn't know," she answered.

He nodded slowly. "Believe it or not but I don't enjoy us fighting. I don't mean to make you upset."

"It kills me, Cody. I hate it." Bailey couldn't understand why she was so emotional. She couldn't keep her feelings in no matter how hard she tried.

"I'm so sorry. You have no idea how badly I feel when I make you like this. Dammit, I'm sorry, Bailey." Cody reached out and took her hand. He held her wrist tightly and rubbed his thumb across her skin.

All her hairs stood up. She shivered. "I'm sorry, too. I don't like upsetting you either, Cody. I want you to be happy. I just…I…" she couldn't continue. The lump in her throat burned and swelled. She closed her eyes. She felt pressure on her arm and then something warm and firm against her cheek. She opened her eyes. Cody was holding her. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Bailey stood on her toes and put her arms under his arms. She closed her eyes again.

They didn't speak. Cody rested his cheek on her head and held her tighter. She gripped his back as best as she could. The lump in her throat slowly deflated. It felt so amazing feeling Cody's body. He smelled good, and he was gentle. It was little moments like this that made her the happiest.

"You're my best friend, Bailey," he said after a while.

"You're my best friend too, Cody," she replied. She let go of him. As much as she didn't want to, she did. "We should get back. Everyone is going to want to know about the final plans of the dance."

Cody smiled and looked away. "Yeah."

They didn't speak the entire way back to the Sky Deck, but it was okay. There were a million things going through her head but now she was okay with letting them go. When they got back, most of their friends were waiting for them but unfortunately, Holden was also there.

"It's about time!" London said.

Cody took a seat on the floor in front of Barbara's chair. There was an empty spot next to Holden on the love seat. He smirked at Bailey. "I won't bite." She tried her best to smile and sat next to him.

Barbara bent down and wrapped her arms around Cody's neck. "So, Cody bear, what happened?" She kissed the top of his head and tangled her fingers in his hair.

"Well, it's set for the weekend right before Christmas, from nine to twelve," he explained.

"That's not very long," Zack said.

"Are you serious? It's three hours," Cody said.

"Three hours of pranks? Not enough for Zack," Woody explained.

"I hate to break it to you Zack, but Ms. Tutweiller is very strict about trouble. If you wreck this, then there won't be any more parties," Bailey said.

"Yeah, and it will be me that gets blamed for it. I think she's holding me personally responsible if Zack causes trouble," Cody mumbled.

Barbara massaged his shoulders. "That's because she trusts you, love."

"And because she's punishing you for all the things I've did in the past," Zack said with a smile.

Cody closed his eyes and nodded. "Yup, that sounds about right."

Bailey watched as Barbara squeezed and dug into his shoulders. She had to do something. She touched Holden's knee. "We should go to shopping together. We need to pick up accessories."

"Oh! That sounds like fun! Cody bear, we need to do that too!" Barbara squealed in a high-pitched voice.

Cody winced. "Okay, Barbara."

Holden licked his lips slowly. "That sounds great, Bailey. We can get something to eat as well. Maybe even come back a bit early." He winked at her. Bailey blushed and felt sick to her stomach. She didn't want to go or come back anywhere with him.

"Oh, are you two dating?" Barbara asked excitedly.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," Zack shot.

Holden laughed arrogantly. "Calm down, Zack. It's just a question, right Bailey?" He once again smirked at her. She once again did not know what to say.

"Bailey…?" Cody asked nervously.

She turned to him. He was frowning at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but they heard someone coming. Bob came storming onto the Deck. He had a mad expression on his face. He marched straight up the stairs without a glance at them, and Maya came right after him. Her eyes were puffy and red. Zack automatically stood up.

"Maya, are you okay?" Zack asked. He balled his fists.

She quickly wiped her eyes. "I'm fine, I'm just going to go to bed."

Bailey watched as Zack looked toward the staircase. She knew that he wanted to go after Bob. "Hey, let's go for a walk." She got up and put a hand on Maya's shoulder.

"Okay," Maya said with a stuffy nose.

Bailey looked at Zack. She knew that he wanted to kick Bob's ass. "Everything will be fine, right Maya?"

She nodded frantically. "Yes, everything is okay."

Bailey led Maya off of the Sky Deck. Maya continued to sniff and wipe her nose on her sleeve as they walked. "Let's get you cleaned up," Bailey offered.

They went to the bathroom. Bailey brought her over to the sink and turned on the water. Maya splashed it on her face and rubbed some on her neck. She ran her hands through her thick, brown hair repeatedly. Bailey rubbed her back as Maya's tears mixed with the water droplets. Though they disagreed on issues and didn't have a lot in common, Bailey considered Maya a good friend and almost a sister. She handed her a towel.

"Thanks," Maya breathed. She turned off the water and scrubbed her face.

"What happened?" Bailey asked.

She leaned over the sink. "Bob and I had a horrible fight."

Bailey put a hand on hers. "Over what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. We were talking a walk around the castle. We were just talking about after graduation. We started talking about plans. He asked me if Zack would be visiting me. It became really bad after that. I don't think he trusts me."

"Zack's been to your house before," Bailey said.

"That's what I told him. It's not like he wants to go back to Boston." Maya closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Why is Bob just now getting upset about this? What is he thinking? Does he honestly believe that you'd cheat on him or something?" Bailey asked.

"I think he's more worried about Zack coming on to me. I reckon in Bob's mind I'm just a stupid fan girl. That stupid ass hole." Maya gripped the sink as if she wanted to pull it out of the wall.

It didn't occur to Bailey that there was real jealousy coming from Bob. "He's just worried, Maya. Can you blame him?"

She turned to her. "What, you think I still want Zack?"

"That's not what I'm saying," she said softly.

Maya laughed and tucked hair behind her ear. "So, what are you saying? Do you think that I'm going to sneak into Zack's cabin and fuck him? Are you on Bob's side?"

"Maya, you need to calm down. I'm not attacking you, so don't attack me. I'm just trying to understand what is going on. I'm on your side. I don't think that you would hurt Bob, okay?" Bailey smiled as warmly as she could.

Her lip trembled. "Dammit, I'm sorry, Bailey. You're right. I just get so freaking tired of it. Bob and I spend so much time arguing about Zack. I'm trying to get him out of my life, but he won't leave."

"Maybe he's not supposed to," Bailey said.

She turned away. "He is supposed to. I'm with Bob and Zack…well, he has Janice and you."

Bailey frowned. "What does that mean?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously he's with Janice or whatever and then you two..."

"Maya, I'm not sure what is going on between Zack and Janice, but there is certainly nothing between Zack and me. I promise you that." Irritation pricked her skin. Bailey could not understand why everyone in the universe thought that she liked Zack. He was her best friend and nothing more. She didn't have any romantic feelings for him, nor had she ever or will. She did not want him. She wanted his amazing twin brother. Bailey didn't understand where all the speculation came from. She couldn't imagine being with Zack when she could have Cody. It was how she felt since she was fourteen and met them. She couldn't think of one thing that would make people believe that she wanted Zack or that he wanted her.

"It doesn't matter, Bailey. All Cody and I know is-"

"You and Cody? You talk to Cody about Zack and I?" Bailey interrupted. She became angry. She really didn't want Cody to have the impression that she was into Zack.

Maya put a hand on her hip. "Yes, he is my friend. We do talk."

"There's nothing going on between me and Zack!" Bailey urged.

She waved a hand. "Whatever, that's not what this is even about remember?"

Bailey rubbed her forehead. "You're right, this about you and Bob."

"There may not be Bob and I much longer. I don't know how much more I can take." Maya rubbed her eyes.

"You're going to break up with him?" Bailey asked.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Bailey. I really care about Bob. He's a great guy, but we always fight now. It wasn't this bad until school started. We always fight about the same fucking thing." Maya turned the water back on and tried to collect it in her hand.

Bailey watched as the liquid glossed her pale, freckly fingers. "Maybe you should talk to Zack about it."

She snorted. "I think Zack already wants to punch him."

"No, you talk to Zack. You should talk to him about Bob. It could help," Bailey suggested.

"And say what to him? This has nothing to do with Zack and everything to do with him at the same time. He wouldn't care, anyway. He has Janice now. I'm sure they'll be going shopping to get matching accessories. Maybe you can double date," Maya spat.

"Don't be like this, Maya. I'm just trying to help. I know you're upset, but don't be this way." Bailey turned the water off and pulled on Maya's shoulder.

Maya sighed and looked at her. "I don't know what to do. I'm stressed out about all of this. I just can't get Zack out of my relationship."

Bailey smiled slightly. "Do you really want to get him out of your relationship?"

Maya chewed on her lip. It reminded her of Cody. "Honestly, I don't know. Zack and I…I don't know where we are."

"You don't fight with him," Bailey said.

"No, I don't." For the first time, she smiled. She gazed at the floor and smiled.

Bailey mentally patted herself on the back. "I'm going to head to bed. Will you be okay?"

Maya nodded and continued to look at the floor. "Yes, I'll be okay." Bailey gave her arm a squeeze before leaving. She wasn't sure what part of their conversation she would tell Zack. She thought about it as she made it back to the Sky Deck.

"Is what's-her-name better?"

Bailey looked up. Holden was standing in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest in the hallway. "Oh, um, yeah, she's fine and her name is Maya."

He nodded as though he couldn't care less. "So, you never answered Barbara's question."

"What are you talking about, Holden?" For some reason he made her feel a little uncomfortable.

He stepped closer to her. "About us dating."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "You know we're not dating. We're going to the party together, that's all."

"That doesn't have to be all. Don't you want it to be more?" he asked.

"Holden, I'm tired. If you really want me to explain to you why we aren't currently dating, then I will be happy to do it while we go shopping, okay?" she snapped.

He held his hands up. "You win, Bailey. I can back off for now."

She gave him a quick nod and walked just as quickly back to the Sky Deck. Surprisingly, Zack, Cody, and Barbara were up waiting for her. They were sitting on the lounge chairs. "How is she?" Zack asked.

Bailey sat on the couch in front of them. "She's okay. She just needed to wash her face."

"Is she breaking up with Bob?" Barbara asked.

She had to suppress an eye roll. "I don't think so."

"Can you give us a few minutes, Barbara?" Cody asked.

Barbara frowned. "What? I want to know what is going on, and if she's okay." Zack rubbed his eyes roughly. He was not good at hiding his annoyance.

"You heard Bailey, she's fine," Cody said.

"But-"

"Go, Barbara!" he interrupted before Barbara could start complaining.

Barbara's eyes widened. She nodded with a sigh and stood up. "Night," she mumbled before slumping away.

"Anyway, what happened?" Cody asked as if nothing had happened.

Bailey tried to hide her smile as best as she could. "She really is okay. They had a fight."

"It took all my willpower to not beat the shit out of Bob," Zack said with anger in his voice.

"What did they fight about?" Cody asked.

Bailey looked him in the eyes. She tried not to get lost in them. "I don't know. She's didn't say."

"I know what it is," Cody breathed. "It's Zack."

"What?" Zack asked.

Cody gave him a look. "Please, of course it's about you."

Zack shook his head. "I didn't do anything."

"You don't have to. I know that expression she had. It's not the first time that we've seen her upset. We know Maya. She still has feelings for you. They're fighting about you."

Zack looked to Bailey. She wasn't sure of what to say. The tone in Cody's voice was not of annoyance or gratification. It was of stress and exhaustion.

"I think they're going to be fine. When I left her, she seemed a bit better. Couples fight, you should know that by now Cody," Bailey said.

He raised an eyebrow. "This is different."

"Really, how is that?" Bailey asked.

He continued to look at her. "Holden was looking for you. Did you find him?"

"Cody, stop it," Zack snapped. Cody looked down at his hands and said nothing.

"I really don't know what else to say. She's not crying anymore. I'm sure they'll make up," Bailey said.

"If that's even the best thing for them," Zack said.

"What does that mean?" Cody asked.

"I don't know. If they always fight like this, then maybe they should give each other some space," he said.

"Do you really think that's the best thing for them? This is about them, Zack," Cody said.

Zack didn't look at him. "I'm going to bed." He didn't say another word as he slowly made his way down the hallway towards his cabin. Bailey watched him with guilt. She had good news for him but couldn't say it in front of Cody.

"So, did you find Holden?" Cody asked.

Bailey turned back to him. "Yes, I did, Cody. Is that a problem?"

He looked at the sky. The moon made his eyes glow and hair shine more golden than it was naturally. "No," he said flatly. He lay back on the floor and continued to look at the sky. She moved to the floor and sat by his head. She leaned against the chair and watched him as he watched the stars. Nothing warmed her up more than he did.

"Is Maya really okay?" Cody asked.

"Yeah," she answered.

"They were fighting about Zack, weren't they?" He turned to her.

She was trapped in his gaze. His blue eyes brought the truth out of her. She couldn't lie to him. "Yes, they were."

Cody nodded and turned his gaze back to the stars. "Everyone is so stressed."

Bailey lay on her back too so they could lie side by side. They watched the stars in silence and eventually fell asleep with each other's company.

**Aww c': This was a big chapter! Things are starting to pick up for Zaya now! Cailey is still going slow unfortunately :c Don't worry! This is going to be a VERY long story! Plenty more will happen! Please review! C: Thanks guys!**


	10. Is it worth it?

**Here's chapter 9! C: Thanks again for all the reviews! Please keep them coming!**

Zack quietly changed into his clothes and grabbed his ball. He was tired and cranky but a morning practice in the gym seemed like a pretty good idea. It wasn't likely that he was going to be able to go back to sleep. The questions he had from the previous night were not answered and a terrible mixture of anticipation and anxiety were in the pit of his stomach right now. He needed to talk to Bailey and find out what happened with Bob and Maya.

When he quickly padded across the room and opened the door, he had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. Barbara was on the other side with her hand raised as if she was about to knock.

"Barbara, what are you doing?" Zack asked at once.

She smiled sweetly and showed her white, perfect teeth. "Didn't mean to scare you. I need to speak to Cody." He nearly fell over. This was one of the only times he ever heard her call Cody by his actual name and not by one of the nick names she gave him.

"He's asleep," he answered.

Barbara flipped her hair. "Well, can you wake him? It's important."

"No, I can't wake him. You know that he doesn't like to be awake when he doesn't have to be. You can talk to him at breakfast." Zack noticed the slight eye roll she gave him.

"I think I know my Cody bear. Listen, it won't take long. I just want to know how things went last night," she said calmly.

It was Zack's turn to roll his eyes. Barbara was one of the nosiest people he had ever met. His parents would not welcome her into the family with open arms. "Well, you can ask him at breakfast. I'm sorry, but I'm not waking him up." Zack was sure that Cody was dead asleep. Though he hadn't stayed up to wait for him, Zack never heard him come into the room so he assumed that he stayed up talking to Bailey. It thought made him even more nervous.

Barbara flipped her hair. "Fine, I guess I can wait a bit." Zack nodded and walked out of the room. He closed the door behind them, and the two made their way down the hallway. "You don't think he's mad at me, do you?" she asked out of nowhere.

He sighed. "I don't think so, but you're better off talking to him about it."

"Don't you think I want to? It's just…he's always around Bailey, so I never get the chance," Barbara whined. Zack frowned. He thought it was a bit exaggerated of her to say that Cody spent all his time with Bailey. Barbara was usually stuck to Cody's mouth 90% of the day.

When they reached the Sky Deck, Barbara gasped loudly.

"Barbara, it's not that bad. I'm sure Cody…" Zack trailed off when he looked up and saw Barbara's face. He followed her eyes. Lying on the floor were Cody and Bailey with their heads facing each other. They seemed to be asleep.

"CODLES!" Barbara screamed. She raced over to him and shook him. "Get up! Get up!"

"Hmm?" Cody groaned. He stretched and slowly opened his eyes. They quickly focused, and he sat up. "Barbara?!"

"Don't you 'Barbara' me! What do you think you're doing?" Barbara cried.

Bailey opened her eyes and sat up as well. She blushed. "W-we fell asleep."

"Thank you for that careful analysis, farm girl!" Barbara spat.

Bailey gave her a look like she wanted to say something but she simply stood up. "I'm going to take a shower." She hurried off of the deck. Zack noticed Cody look after her.

"Oh, you better take a shower. Wash all of the traces of _my_ Cody bear off you, right?" Barbara called after her.

"Barbara, please, calm down," Cody said, standing up and rubbing his neck.

Barbara wiped the tears off her cheeks. "How can you ask me to calm down? I caught you sleeping with Bailey!"

Cody blushed fiercely. "You know it's not like that. We fell asleep talking. That's all, I promise. I'm sorry."

Barbara didn't seem convinced. She turned to Zack. "And I guess you were covering for him back there?"

Zack gawked at her. "What? I didn't know anything. Don't bring me into this."

"Barbara, Zack didn't cover for me. There's nothing to cover. People fall asleep. It happens." Cody's tone wasn't soothing or soft. He seemed irritated and bored.

"Well, usually when people fall asleep together, they do so with a girlfriend or boyfriend. You fell asleep with HER! How dare you, Cody!" Barbara's tears got bigger and fatter the longer she cried.

Cody's annoyance seemed to disappear. "Please, don't cry, okay. I'm really sorry. Nothing happened we just fell asleep. I'm really sorry." He took her hands.

Barbara immediately stopped crying. "Really?"

Zack wanted to knock himself out with his ball. He couldn't stand seeing his own twin brother being manipulated by Barbara in such a way. He wanted it to end. He wanted to talk to him, but he knew it was useless. Cody would get defensive and call him a bad brother. He didn't want that. As much as Zack didn't want Cody with Barbara, his relationship with his own brother meant the world to him, and he didn't want to ruin it.

"Really, okay. I'm sorry. Let's just talk, okay? I'm sorry, Barbara. I'm sorry," Cody repeated. Barbara smiled and jumped into his arms. Cody put his arms around her and looked at Zack. His face was blank and his eyes were dark. Harry couldn't take it anymore. He firmed his grip on his ball and stormed off of the deck.

His head wasn't quite in the game today. More and more seemed to fill his head and his heart. Things with Maya were so fucked up. He couldn't keep his plans in order, and Cody was suffering. He knew he was. Cody was probably in as much pain as he or Bailey was. He didn't stay in the gym too much longer. His chest hurt. When he got to the locker room, Bailey was sitting on a bench.

"What are you doing in here?" Zack asked.

"I brought you some breakfast. I'm sure that you didn't get any on your way out," she answered.

Zack smiled and joined her on the bench. He took the bacon sandwich and muffin from her. "Thanks." She smiled and nodded, but there was something to it that made Zack uneasy. "What's wrong?"

"Barbara was really upset," Bailey said.

Zack finally let out his laughter that he held in from earlier. "She was pissed."

She didn't seem amused. "Did she cry?"

He stopped laughing. "Yeah, of course she did."

"I was afraid of that," Bailey said softly.

Zack gave her a look. "Why? Did something happen?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. Neither of them were at breakfast. I assume Cody is in the room trying to calm her down and prove that he cares more about her than me."

Her brown eyes were glossy. Zack hoped that she wouldn't start crying. "He wouldn't do that, Bailey. Cody's not like that."

Bailey looked away. "Maybe…maybe not."

"Bailey, what happened yesterday, with everything?" he asked.

She took a breath. "I'm not sure. We talked after the meeting. He says that I'm stressing him out because I'm not clear about what I want. He's worried about Maya and Bob, which I guess he has every right to be. Maya said they're fighting a lot, and it's about you. Cody knows it."

There was so much for him to process at once. "Maya and Bob are arguing about m-me?"

She looked back up to him. "Bob's worried that something might happen over holiday. Maya's getting sick of it."

Zack gripped the bench. He wasn't hungry anymore. "Is she sick of me?"

"I'm not sure, Zack. I don't think so. I think she's more upset about Bob not trusting her. I think she's upset about a lot of things. We all are," she explained. "We didn't do anything, Cody and I. We were talking and fell asleep."

"I know that, Bailey. You don't have to explain it to me," Zack said. They were silent for a while.

"Zack," Bailey finally said after some time, "do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean with the plans. You and I are making all these arrangements; do you think it's wrong or if it's even worth it?" Bailey gazed at him so intently. She was always the smart one, she always had the answers for every problem, but for once she was looking to him for support and reassurance. He wanted to give it to her, but he didn't want to lie.

"I…I don't know. At first everything seemed so clear but not so much now. Sometimes, I think we should just tell them the truth, and sometimes I think we should just give up. I feel really bad, Bailey," he said honestly.

Her bottom lip trembled, "I do, too."

"You know what? I think Cody does, too. When he was apologizing to Barbara, there was this hole in him that I hated looking at. He's not like that with you. That night I walked in on you two, he was different. He was Cody." Zack smiled, hoping it would help. He didn't want them to be so upset all the time.

It seemed to work. Bailey grinned. "Maya hardly ever really smiles anymore, but when she does, it usually because of you, Zack. I don't think her feelings have gone away one bit. In fact, I think they've grown."

"Cody loves you, Bailey. I don't know what he has with Barbara, but it's not real. I think you should tell him how you feel," he said.

"And I think you should tell Maya how you feel. You missed the chance once; I don't think you should do it again," she answered.

"The Christmas party is in just a few days. I think it will be the best time to tell them. It will give us time to figure out what to," he explained. It was like a light was finally being turned on in his brain. It seemed so easy. He didn't know why they hadn't decided to do it from the beginning.

"Okay, Zack, that sounds like a great idea. We can…wait what about Janice and Holden?" Bailey quickly asked.

He had forgotten that he was going to the dance with Janice and that they were going shopping the next day to pick up accessories. "Oh, uh, well, I guess we'll have to still go with them. Cody and Maya are still going with Barbara and Bob. Besides, I don't want to stand Janice up."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "You care an awful lot more about your date than I do about mine."

"Hey, you're the one who said yes," Zack teased.

"Don't remind me. Tomorrow is going to be a nightmare. I just hope that he'll be able to keep his hands to himself," she said with a shiver.

He laughed and the two of them continued to talk about their new plan. It didn't involve schemes or tricky ideas. It was them simply deciding the best way to tell their love interests how they felt and for the first time, Zack was sure about it.

The next day, the boat was colder and gloomier than he had imagined it would be. The wind was piercing and his ears felt like they would fall off, but somehow, he was having a good time. He and Janice had already purchased their things for the dance and were sipping smoothies.

"So, my parents were a bit upset when I told them that I'm probably going to go into basketball professionally."

Zack took another sip of his drink. The cool liquid soothed his body and warmed his spirits. "They'll eat their words once they see you play. You're awesome, and I honestly couldn't think of anything else for you."

Janice smiled. Her cheeks were a bit red. "Thank you, I feel the same way. What about you? I can see you out there playing."

"I don't know yet honestly," he said.

"You could always come back to the boat and teach," she suggested.

Zack laughed. "Teach what?"

Janice shrugged. "Basketball or woodshop. You know everything in the books already from experience."

He didn't know what to say. "I'm not sure about that. I couldn't imagine teaching kids like us things like that."

She frowned. "Why not, you were the teacher's favorite student in 8th grade. You were great. I learned a lot from you. I learned things that I never would have, if you didn't help me." Her voice was soft, and her dark eyes were staring right at him.

He wasn't sure what she was trying to say. All day Janice had been eying him. "No problem. You didn't really need my help, though, just a few suggestions," he said awkwardly.

Janice continued to look at him and smile. "I guess so." They were quiet. Zack continued to sip his drink and look at the counter. Minutes passed without a word. "Well, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to head out. There are some other shops that I want to check out," she said suddenly.

"Oh, okay, that's fine," Zack rushed. He got out of his chair.

Janice picked up her bag and walked over to him. "Thanks for today. I had a lot of fun."

Zack smiled. "Yeah, so did I."

Janice squeezed his hand before slowly walking off of the deck. She gave him one more smile before getting lost in the crowd of people. Zack took his seat back at the table and stared at her cup. He had a really good time with Janice. However, her looks made him a bit uncomfortable. He couldn't tell what she was feeling or what she wanted. That had always been his problem with her. Nothing was straight forward. It seemed more and more that it was a common theme with him and Maya. He didn't want his relationship with Maya to turn out how it did with Janice. He wanted things to be different. He grabbed his wallet and left the money on the table.

He walked around the boat alone and in silence. He watched his classmates and visitors talk and laugh with each other. There was no sign of Bailey. Last time he saw her was at 'One of a kind' with Holden. He hoped things were going well with her. He knew things were going well for Cody and Barbara. Before going to the Easy Squeezy, he and Janice had spotted them kissing in the Aqua Lounge. While Janice thought it was funny, Zack had scowled. Cody's relationship with Barbara was more of a nightmare each day.

Zack bumped into someone. "Sorry," he hastily said.

"It's okay, Zack," Bob said.

Zack was frozen. Bob's eyes were red and swollen. He looked so lost. "Are you okay?"

Bob walked over to the railing and leaned over it as if he wanted to jump. "Not like you care, right?"

For a split second Zack considered walking away, but Bob seemed to be in real pain, and outside of the drama with Maya, he and Bob had been good friends since 7th grade. No matter how much Zack wanted to hit him sometimes, he didn't actually enjoy seeing Bob in so much pain. He walked over to him. "Bob, come on, what's wrong?"

Bob stared at his hands. "Maya stormed off with Woody and Addison. She's pissed off at me."

Zack wasn't happy to hear the news. Bob's voice was low. "What happened?"

"I don't know. We started fighting as always. It's the same shit. I keep making her upset, but I don't mean to. I keep telling her that I'm sorry, and I keep fucking up," he explained.

He patted his back. "I'm sorry, Bob. I really am. Maybe you should just give her some time. When she's angry, it's best to let her be angry. I learned that years ago."

Bob moved away from him. "I bet you did. You must know a lot about her. You're around her all the time and spend every Christmas with her."

"Don't do this. I've known her for years, and I get invited to go spend Christmas in New York with her. You can't get mad at me for it," Zack said.

"Don't think that I'm stupid enough to believe that you don't enjoy that you'll have her when I won't." Bob's tone was no longer soft. It was filled with spite and aggression.

Zack's sympathy was slowly draining. "Fuck off, Bob. I've spent holidays with her for years. You didn't seem to have a problem this past summer. I was at her apartment. It's not a big deal."

Bob laughed harshly. "Right, no big deal? That's what Maya tells me, and then I see the way she smiles at you. You say it's no big deal, and then I see the way you stare at her. You both think you're kidding me, but you're not. I love Maya and-and she may not love me as much, but I want her and I'll fight to keep her. I'll punch you in the face to keep her, Zack. Don't think that because we're friends I'll let you take her like you do with everything else."

It took all of Zack's power not to attack him right then. He wanted to. He wanted to tell him that he wasn't afraid and had fought tougher guys than him. He wanted to tell Bob that no matter how much he loved Maya, it was nothing compared to his love and his connection. He wanted to say so much but decided against it. Bob had never said such things to him before. It was his rage and jealousy talking. Bob knew all about that. He had done the same thing on many occasions to Cody and Bailey.

"Bob, if anything is breaking you two up, it's you and how you're acting, not me. Maybe if you stopped trying to keep her on a leash, she wouldn't get bothered by you. Maybe if you trusted her. Maybe if you-"

He couldn't finish his statement. A pressure hit his face. He fell back against the fence. Zack opened his eyes. Bob was standing over him. He was grinning, but his eyes were something else. There was pain and panic in the brownness. Zack knew what was in Bob's eyes and what was in his heart. Zack knew because he felt it, too. "What the hell is going on?" someone asked.

Zack looked beyond Bob and saw Maya, Woody, and Addison running over. Zack quickly stood up and rubbed his cheek. It stung a bit. "Bob, what happened?" Maya demanded.

"Zack, are you okay?" Woody asked.

Zack looked from Addison to Woody to Maya, and then settled on Bob. There was something there that he understood. "Nothing, I mean, I'm fine. I fell back against the railing."

"How did you fall back? I mean there's like nothing that could-" Addison asked.

Zack looked around. "These shoes are kind of slippery. I fell back, that's all," he interrupted.

"Oh, really, you just fell back?" Maya asked. He knew that she was skeptical.

Zack had to talk to her forehead. He couldn't look her in the face. "Yeah, I fell, that's all."

"Well, are you okay? Did you hurt something?" Addison said.

"No, Bob tried to catch me but it was too late," Zack came up with. He knew that he shouldn't have protected Bob, but he couldn't tell on him. Zack knew what it was like to feel hollow and he couldn't treat Bob the same way, no matter how much he wanted to. It wasn't in him.

"Sorry, Zack," Bob mumbled.

Zack tried to smile. He knew what he was really apologizing for. "It's okay."

Maya looked from Bob to Zack. "Well, fine, as long as you're okay Zack and you just fell, right?"

Zack nodded and looked at his shoes to avoid their gaze. "Yeah, to be safe I'll go put my leg up in my cabin."

He didn't give anyone time to respond. He didn't look back. He kept walking. He wanted to punch Bob back. He wanted to scream at himself for protecting him, but most of all, he wanted it all to end. He wanted Maya. He wanted her more than anything in the world, but it was tearing Bob a part, and as much as he desired finding peace and happiness in his life, he wasn't sure if it was worth taking it from someone else.

**Thanks for reading! C: Next chapter is going to start the Christmas dance :D A lot is going to happen, so stay tuned! I should have it up soon! Please keep those reviews coming! Sorry this chapter had like no Cailey :c But this was just kind of a filler chapter before the dance! Sorry if it was kind of boring, but I promise it'll get better! Stay tuned for chapter 10!**


	11. Zack's dance

**Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't uploaded in a few days; I've had midterms all this week so I had to study! But no worries! Here's chapter 10! Enjoy!**

**Btw! The dresses on the girls, just picture the same dresses they wore in the prom episode! c:**

**Oh! 1 more thing! I really want to apologize for accidentally putting Harry Potter names in this story. I just can get really lazy when I edit especially when I'm tired, but I will try to do better I promise!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suite Life.**

Zack fixed his tie. Butterflies were fluttering in his stomach. His hands were even shaking a bit. It was the night of the dance. It was the night of fun and relaxation before the big exams. It was the night that he would finally tell Maya how he felt. He had been through his plan with Bailey time and time again, but it wasn't enough. He looked up from his shoes and saw Bob sitting on his bed. He was adjusting the collar on his shirt with a smile on his face. All the guys met in Zack and Cody's room to do some last minute preparing. Apparently, Bob and Maya had made up.

"Has anyone seen my comb?" Woody asked, pacing around the room.

Marcus laughed. "Dude, you need to calm down."

Woody shook his head frantically. "I can't calm down. I know Addison is going to look gorgeous, and she'll have to deal with me looking terrible. My hair is so messy."

"Here, borrow mine," Zack said. He tossed his comb to Woody.

"Thanks," he breathed, going to the mirror and roughly trying to tame his bushy hair.

"I didn't know that you owned a comb," Cody said.

Zack rolled his eyes. "I don't, but mom made me bring one. I think she's worried that I'm going to turn into dad and have a ponytail."

"You might as well get an earring, Cody. You and Zack can be more bad-asses. Barbara will like it," Bob said with a wink.

Cody shivered. "No, I could never do that. Besides, I already swore to Bailey that I'd never get one."

"What does Bailey have to do with it?" Marcus asked.

Cody shrugged and looked away. "Nothing, it's just…last year we were doing some extra credit and we started talking about piercings and tattoos. I promised her that I would never get an earring if she promised to never get a tattoo."

"What's wrong with tattoos?" Zack asked curiously.

Cody looked to him. Zack noticed his cheeks turn slightly red. "N-nothing is wrong with them. It's just…well…I don't think Bailey needs to ink her skin up."

"It's perfect the way it is, right?" Woody asked with a smile.

Cody smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"Don't let Barbara hear you say that," Marcus said.

Cody rolled his eyes again. "Dammit, I don't think I could take another argument. I just want to enjoy the night with her." He looked in the mirror and brushed lint off his shoulders. Zack could tell how relieved he was about his new tux.

"Well, we should probably head out. Don't want to keep our dates waiting," Bob said, getting up. The five boys gave each other a once over, checking for lint and earwax. When the coast was clear, they headed to the Sky Deck. The entryway was loud and bright as it had been during the International Dateline dance. Students and their dates roamed around the deck. Large Christmas trees and ornaments hung and sparkled all about.

"Wow, this looks great," Zack said.

"I'm tired of looking at it already. Bailey and I spent ages picking out decorations," Cody said.

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Marcus said as he spotted London.

Cody grabbed his arm. "Don't even think about pouring, spilling, dropping, or anything else you can do with alcohol into the punch bowls. It'll be my ass that gets kicked if Ms. Tutweiller finds out."

"You can trust me, Codes. Besides, I have much better things to occupy my time with," Marcus said, wiggling his eyebrows and walking towards London.

"I better go find Addison. See you all later," Woody said, leaving as well.

Cody looked around. "Where are the girls?" he asked a bit anxious.

"Knowing Barbara, she gave them all makeovers," Bob said. Zack had to laugh at the statement. He could easily imagine Barbara trying to apply eye shadow on Bailey. Bob looked at him and smiled. They hadn't talked very much since the afternoon that they got into the heated argument, but Zack was going to try and Bob seemed to be as well.

"Great job, Cody. It looks awesome in here," a voice said. Zack turned around. Maya was standing by them. She had on a light yellowish-green dress with a rhinestone bodice. It was long and fell to her feet; it was classy and beautiful. Her hair was pinned up but two curly strands of hair hung in her face. She was glowing. She was gorgeous. She was perfect.

"Wow," was all Bob could say. "Maya, you look beautiful." Zack knew that beautiful was not the word to describe her. It wasn't even close.

Maya smiled and took his hand. "Thank you, Bob. You look great as well."

"You know how to fix up, Maya," Cody teased.

"Wish I could say the same about you," she said with a wink. She then turned to Zack. He tried to slow his heartbeat. The green in her dress made her brown eyes pop and brown hair shine. He wanted her so badly. He actually ached. "You look great, Zack."

He swallowed and tried to form thoughts and words. "Thanks, so do you." She continued to smile at him so he turned away. He didn't want to lose it yet.

"Everything looks magnificent! I'm so happy with it!" Janice said, walking up to them. Zack sighed in relief.

Janice looked amazing. She wore a long, tight black dress and her hair was down and shiny. "You look great, Janice," he said honestly.

"Thank you, you look very handsome," she answered.

"We should probably go in, right?" Bob asked.

Zack tore his eyes away from Janice. "Bailey and Barbara aren't here yet."

"You think I should go check on them?" Cody asked, looking a bit worried.

"I'm sure they're okay. Probably just applying last minute touches," Maya said. Cody nodded and rubbed his neck. The group headed onto the deck. It had completely transformed. It was beautiful and bright. Students and teachers were already dancing. The five of them took a seat at a table. Zack saw Woody and Addison dancing. Theo and the girl he was with a few days ago sat a table scowling at everything.

"They can't even be happy at a party? What a shame," Maya said, rolling her eyes.

"Goes against their code. They have to be on constant alert. One tiny smile and they lose focus," Cody explained. Janice and Maya laughed.

"I'm going to get some punch. Do you want some?" Zack asked Janice.

She smiled at him. "Sure, thank you." He returned her smile and walked over to the drinks table.

"There you are, Zack. We were looking for you."

Zack looked up from the punch bowl. Holden was smirking in his very expensive looking tuxedo. Bailey stood next to him, looking off. He didn't have to find her gaze. He knew that she was staring at Cody. "Yeah, we were waiting for our dates. We got a table," Zack explained.

"It looks awesome in here. Good work," Holden said, pouring punch.

Zack wanted to tell him that is was actually Cody who had worked so hard to make the dance fun for him, but he decided against it and simply nodded. "Bailey, you look really pretty," he said instead.

Bailey finally turned to him and smiled. "Thanks, I decided to keep my hair down this time." She wore a long red colored dress. Her hair was partly pulled back and looked slightly curled. She did look gorgeous, but her features told it all. She didn't care about how she looked at all.

"Well, um, let's go to the table," Zack offered.

"Wow, you look fantastic, Bailey," Janice said. Cody looked up from his hands and his jaw drop a bit. He simply stared at Bailey, and his eyes were massive. Bailey's cheeks turned pink.

"You look very handsome, Cody," she said softly.

Cody stood up. "Thanks, you-you look…so beautiful." Bailey smiled at him tenderly. He returned it and they both looked happy for the first time all night.

"Oh, I think it's nice that we both decided to wear red, Bailey!" a voice squeaked.

Zack turned around and it was his turn to drop his jaw. Barbara was wearing a short, deep red colored dress. It was corset style so her bust was easily noticeable and plump against her dress. It was also strapless. Her hair was held back by a headband making her breasts ever more visible. It was a bit tacky in Zack's opinion, but being a sixteen-year-old guy, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Barbara flipped her hair unnecessarily and walked over to Cody. "You look so sexy, Codles. That is an amazing tux. How do you think I look?"

Cody just stared at her with absolutely no expression on his face. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he said simply.

Barbara giggled and jumped a bit. "Thank you! I worked really hard on this." She turned to the group. "Janice, Maya, Bailey, you all look great." Maya pretended not to hear her and Janice smiled forcibly. A fast song started to play. "Oh, well, let's go, Cody bear," Barbara ordered, taking his hand and leading him to the dance floor.

"Well, that was um…" Bob trailed off.

"Disgusting," Maya finished.

"Are you blind? She looks great," Holden said, looking after her.

Maya gave him a look, "Are you freaking kidding me? She looks like a whore."

Zack snuck a glance at Bailey. She was clutching her drink with her lip bit. He couldn't stand looking at her. So, he turned to Maya. Bob whispered something in her ear and she laughed.

He sighed and realized that he didn't have to be miserable. He turned to Janice. She was tapping her fingers on her knee. He smiled. "Want to dance?"

She turned to him. "Really, you want to dance?"

He laughed. "That's why we're here, right?"

She chuckled. "I'd love to."

He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Zack gave one glance at Maya and Bob kissing at the table and realized that he couldn't worry about it. He wouldn't let himself get upset. The less he thought about Maya, the more fun he had. He danced with Janice and had a good time. She looked amazing and he remembered how much fun she was. They finally took a break and sat down. He was burning up.

"I think I'm going to splash some water on my face," Janice said.

"Okay," he answered with a laugh. She kissed his cheek and walked away.

"You two seem to be having fun," Bailey said. She wasn't smiling.

"I'm having a good time. She's nice," he said.

She nodded. "I'm happy for you. Cody seems to be having a good time, too," she said bitterly.

Zack looked to the dance floor. He was holding Barbara, and her face was pressed against his chest. She had the biggest smile on her face. They were swaying in time to the slow song that was playing. "I'm not so sure. He looked a lot happier when he saw you. Did you notice his expression?"

She sighed. "Thanks, Zack, but you don't have to lie to me."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

She looked back to Cody for a moment. "Nothing, just…enjoy your night and good luck if you're still going to talk to Maya." She quickly got up and walked over to Holden who was talking to a group of guys. She tapped his arm and whispered something in his ear. He smirked and nodded. Holden took her hand and led her out of the hall.

"Shit, I didn't think that she was serious with him," Maya said.

"She's not. I'm not sure what she's doing," Zack explained honestly.

She took a seat next to him. Her face was flushed. She yanked the tie out of her hair. "Ugh, I give up. It's like a bag of bricks on my head." She shook her head and let her lovely hair run wild around her. She was even more perfect.

"I like it better down. You look incredible," Zack said.

She grinned. "Thanks."

Once again, they were connected. His heart raced and all he could see were her eyes. It was now or never. "D-do you want to dance? It's a slow one," he asked before he could stop himself.

"Yes, I do," she said. "I wanted to get one in with you before the night was over."

He thought that his heart would explode. He stood up and held out his hand. She took it and he slowly led her to the dance floor. He didn't know what to do with his hands. He put them on her hips. She placed her hands on his neck. They were so warm. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. Zack felt at home. He gripped her hips tighter and closed his eyes. They swayed to the music. It was the perfect time. He wanted to tell her. It was the perfect time to say it. They were close, relaxed, and in their own world. He felt so alive. He felt so in love with her.

"Maya," he said softly.

"Yes," she said, pulling away a bit.

He looked into her eyes. She looked a bit nervous. The butterflies grew and fluttered rapidly in his stomach. "A-are you enjoying yourself?"

She chuckled. "You don't have to worry. You're a fine dancer."

He bit his lip and realized that he couldn't tell her. He just couldn't ruin it. The thought of her dropping her smile and saying no to him was too much. "Good," he managed to say. Maya put her head back on his chest and they continued to dance. He was torn between enjoying it and hating himself for being such a coward.

The song ended but Zack didn't want to let go. He reluctantly removed his hands. Maya pulled away. She seemed to be in a daze. "Thanks for the dance, Zack," she said.

"No problem, maybe we can have another one?" he said.

She smiled. "I'd like that." She walked away from him.

Zack looked around. Janice was back at the table. He walked over to her. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said.

She waved a hand. "Oh, no, I'm okay. You seemed to be enjoying yourself, unlike Cody."

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking around. Cody and Barbara weren't in sight.

"He asked where Bailey was and I told him that she went off with Holden. I saw them on my way back from the bathroom. He seemed a bit upset by it, so he took off with Barbara. I hope I didn't start anything," she said softly.

He tried to hide his worry. Both of his best friends were off with people they didn't want to be with and were pretending not to think about the person they truly love. "No, it's okay."

"I don't know. Cody seemed really hurt. It's obvious who he wanted to go to an empty classroom with," Janice teased. Zack gawked at her. She smiled and rolled her eyes. "I'm British. I know things."

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"To everyone but the right person, I guess," she said. She was looking at him in the same way she did the other day.

He couldn't read her. "I guess so."

She tucked hair behind her ear. "Do…you want to get out of here?"

Zack wasn't sure what he wanted. He took a glance at Maya. She was standing very close to Bob in the corner of the hall. "Sure." They didn't go too far. They went to an empty hallway and sat next to each other. Zack wasn't sure of what to say or do. He rubbed his hands on his knees. He had a lot of his mind. "So, are you having a good time?"

"Yes, I'm glad that we came together. It's been really fun, Zack," she answered. "What about you?"

She was near the railing. The moonlight lit up her eyes. "I've had a really good time." They were quiet. Zack continued to rub his palms on his knees. He wasn't sure about anything. There was uncertainty with everything and now Janice. He didn't expect to have fun. He didn't think that he ever could with her. He was sure that his feelings for her had only been a flash of attraction. They continued to sit in silence.

Janice moved closer to him, putting her hand on his knee. "Zack," she whispered.

He looked to her. Her eyes were so massive and dark. They were almost black. Zack touched her face and realized the tiny freckles on her nose. Her breath was sweet and warm. He learned forward and kissed her. He was frozen at first. He wanted to pull away, until he felt her lips press against his. She was kissing him back. She squeezed his knee, and he wrapped his fingers into her hair. Janice's tongue brushed against his mouth. He parted his lips, letting her in. The kiss was slow. Zack didn't think about anything. He could feel her hand on his leg and her tongue in his mouth, but his mind was empty. He stopped kissing her and pulled away.

Her eyes were still dark and massive. She was smiling. Zack realized that he was smiling as well. For the first time, he understood her feelings completely. It was easy because he felt the same way. Janice licked her lips. "Zack, I like you."

"I like you, too," he answered truthfully.

She nodded. "Good, because I actually consider you one of my best friends, and I think I always will. You and me…friends."

His smile grew. "I couldn't agree more."

Janice leaned forward again, only this time she pulled her arms around him for a hug. Zack held her back. They knew at that moment that their breakup was not a mistake. The mystery was over. She was warm, she was soft, but the world didn't disappear. Harry wasn't completely safe. Holding Janice and kissing her was nothing compared to holding Maya. Maya Elizabeth Bennett was the only woman for him. The only woman he wanted. He already knew that, but kissing Janice heightened his awareness.

She rubbed his cheek. "Well, I'm really tired. I think I'm going to head on to bed, if it's okay."

"Yes, of course, do you want me to walk you back?" Zack asked, getting up.

"No, it's okay. There's still plenty of party left to enjoy." She leaned forward and softly kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Zack."

"Goodnight, Janice," he whispered.

She gave him one more smile before walking off. Zack sighed. He was ready to tell Maya. He walked the halls thinking of how he would start. Nothing would hold him back this time. Suddenly, he heard crying. His heart stopped, thinking it was Bailey. It turned to ice when he realized the voice. It was Maya. She was kneeling in the corner with her face in her hands.

He ran over to her. "What's wrong? What happened to you? Are you okay?"

Maya looked up. Her face was soaked from tears. She sniffed loudly. "I'm fine, just go back to Janice."

"Stop it, okay. Tell me what's wrong?" he ordered.

She wiped her eyes. "We broke up. Bob and I aren't together anymore," she choked out before bawling again. She collapsed against his chest, and he automatically adjusted to fit against her body. Maya was free. He didn't have to hide anything anymore. He could possibly have her now. However, none of these thoughts mattered. He held her close and said nothing. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. He let her weep on him. She needed him right now. She was hurting.

Maya needed him as a friend, and he would be there for her.

Everything else could wait.

**Thanks for reading! YES! It's the end of Bob and Maya! C: So, what does that mean for Zaya? You'll have to stay tuned to find out! As for Cailey? The next chapter is going to be the dance from Bailey's POV. This chapter was more from Zack's POV, but we need to see what's going to happen to Cailey right!? Then stay tuned! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	12. Bailey's dance

**Hey, guys! Here's chapter 11! This is the dance written in Bailey's perspective. It is not picking up form where we left off; it will be from the morning of the dance. Some of the lines may be the same from the previous chapter, but please bear with me! There will be different plots going on.**

**Thanks for the reviews! I just want to say something now because I've gotten a few requests about this; I probably will never write a chapter of this story in Cody's perspective because I really want it to be in Bailey's and Zack's. Sorry! Maybe I'll do a sequel to it in Cody's POV or something, but as for this story, it will be through Bailey's and Zack's eyes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Suite Life.**

**ENJOY!**

"Sheesh, how many freaking napkins are there?" Cody asked while folding napkins.

Bailey chuckled. "Just a few more"

He grinned. "Well, you could just do them all yourself," he hinted with a sly smile.

"This is _our_ assignment so we are going to complete it together," she said with a wink. Cody rolled his eyes and went back to neatly folding. It was the morning before the dance and the top students had last minute assignments to do. She gazed around. The sky deck looked spectacular. She was sure the seniors would appreciate it.

"All I know is that I'm going to give the most ridiculous requests so the top students will have to go through torture like us," Cody explained.

"I don't think this is torture. It's a nice gesture and is sort of relaxing." Bailey smiled at him. He wasn't really paying attention to her. He was frowning while trying to fold a napkin into a perfect triangle. His long fingers stumbled with the cloth. It was adorable. "Here, let me help you." She took his hand and placed the cloth in it. With her hands, she slowly folded the napkin. "See, it's not so hard. You just need to take it slow."

Cody shrugged. "You're just good at everything."

"I've had a lot of practice. My parents have barbeques back on the farm, and they like to use these as decorations," she explained.

He put the cloth down and leaned against the table. "So, are you going to spend Christmas at Kettlecorn?"

Bailey wasn't sure how to respond. She had thought for weeks about what she was going to do. Usually it would be an easy decision, but Cody's current relationship changed things. A part of her wanted to just stay at home. The idea of being alone with Cody was too much at times. However, the other part of her wanted nothing more than to be able to sit on the cozy couch in the Tipton lobby and drink hot chocolate with him, possibly play in the snow and accidentally walk under the mistletoe…

"Bailey? Did you hear me?" Cody asked.

She snapped out of her trance. "Oh, sorry, um, I don't know. I haven't decided yet. My parents aren't planning anything special. It will probably just be my Grammy over."

He fiddled with the lace on the table. "That's nice…just know that you're more than welcome to come to Boston. You know my mom is already working on a present for you. So, if you'd like to stay with me that would be great. I mean if you want to."

Bailey tried not to blush. "Okay, Cody, thank you." He nodded and looked away. "Is Barbara going to come visit or…"

"She's going to stay with some relatives. I won't see her until the new year starts," he answered. She tried to hide her smile. A weight seemed to lift from her shoulders. "What about Moose? Is he coming by to see you?" he asked abruptly.

"What?" she asked.

Cody rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. All those notes you two pass to each other. Do you two have any plans?"

"No, not at all. I'm sure he'll be busy plowing or something," Bailey said. "We're just friends, Cody."

He didn't seem convinced. "Like you and Holden are just friends?"

She sighed. She didn't want to have an argument with him before the night even started. She planned on telling him about how she felt, and she didn't want to jeopardize her chances at success. "Do we have to go through this again? He's my date, Cody. He asked me, and I said yes. That's all. I promise you that is all. What does it matter to you anyway?"

He frowned. "It's Holden. He's a jerk, and tonight he's going to have his hands all over you and who knows what else."

A wave of heat went through her. His voice was stern, and he stared at her intently. "I'm not going to have sex with him if that's what you're getting at," she said quietly.

"Yeah, try telling that to him," he mumbled. Bailey opened her mouth but he cut in. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm sorry, okay? Do whatever you want to," Cody muttered. He moved away from her and sighed. "Just…"

"Just what, Cody?" Bailey asked.

He turned back around. "Nothing. Look, I think we're done here. I need to go see if Barbara has everything she needs for tonight. I'll see you soon." He didn't give her much time to respond. He walked away leaving her confused as always.

The rest of the day was a bundle of nerves for Bailey. She went over her plan with Zack and was ready to tell Cody the truth. She stood in front of her mirror practicing how she was going to say it. However, it was always easier said than done and while she got ready for the dance, she was less and less sure it was a good idea.

"I'm so nervous!" London said as she brushed her long black hair.

"Why are you nervous? It's just a dance," Bailey said.

"It's the first time I'll be public with Marcus," she explained. "I don't want there to be any trouble."

"I'm sure it will be okay. It's about you and him, no one else," Bailey said, thinking about Cody. She pulled up her dress. She went with a scarlet colored dress. It was ruffly, went down to her ankles and had thin straps. She wore beautiful 2 inch silver high heels. She decided the wear her hair mostly down, but a little bit pulled out of her face this time with a little bit of curl. It wasn't worth the effort to straighten it.

"You look great, Bailey," London said.

"Thanks. I hope I don't look as tired as I feel," she joked.

London smiled. "I'm sure Holden and Cody won't notice."

She raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed mean?" London shrugged and went back to her hair.

The door to their room opened and Barbara walked in. She still had her bathrobe on. "Oh, wow, you two look great. Londy, those earrings really bring out your eyes and Bailey, cute color."

Bailey tried her best to smile. There was no need to be rude to her right now. "Thank you, um, you're not dressed obviously…"

"Yeah, Barbara, why aren't you?" London asked.

Barbara giggled and pulled the towel off her head. She dried her long, wet hair. "I'll get dressed later. First, I have to make my hair and make-up perfect. If I don't get it right, then I'll have to start again and I don't want to ruin my dress."

"You're going to make Cody wait all night?" Bailey asked.

Her smile faded a bit. "No, but I want to look good and I'm sure he'll appreciate my precision. I don't plan on disappointing him."

Bailey had to suppress an eye roll. Cody wouldn't care if Barbara's eye shadow wasn't completely faded into her brows. He was a gentleman, but he would care if he had to wait all night. He was very impatient at times. There was so much about Cody that Barbara didn't seem to understand. "I guess that's a good plan," she mumbled.

Barbara raised her eyebrow and began to brush her hair. "It's good that you're finished. Holden seems like the type of guy who will want to dance all night."

"Bailey, it's crazy that you're going with him," London said.

"It doesn't mean anything. He asked me," she explained for the hundredth time it seemed.

"I'm surprised that you're not going with Zack. You two have a thing, right?" Barbara asked.

"No, we don't," Bailey said flatly.

Barbara smirked. "Hmm, okay, if you say so."

There were a hundred ways that Bailey wanted to respond. "I better get going. I need to check out the sky deck and see if Ms. Tutweiller needs me to do anything. See you two down there." She gave herself one more once over and grabbed her clutch purse. She yanked the door open and walked out of the room. She couldn't understand how Barbara was able to get her so worked up. Bailey considered herself to have a very high tolerance for stupidity after rooming with London for so long, but Barbara was the queen of shallow and always pushed her buttons.

However, some of her frustration cleared as she walked down the hallway and onto the sky deck. Everything was finally put together and it all looked magical. She smiled and walked over to Ms. Tutweiller who was talking to Mr. Moseby. "Ms. Tutweiller," Bailey said.

Ms. Tutweiller smiled. "You look lovely, Bailey."

"Thank you. Is there anything else I can do?" she asked.

Ms. Tutweiller smiled at her. "Well, do you mind checking all the drinks for anything that isn't appropriate for tonight? I don't want anyone ending up in the nurses' office intoxicated. Do you remember how to do it?"

"Yes," she said.

Checking the punch bowls was tedious, but it gave her time alone to think about when she would tell Cody. It was about nine when people started showing up. By the time she was finished, the deck was beginning to crowd. She noticed Theo and his girlfriend at a table. They didn't look excited. Marcus was at a table with London. Bailey smiled.

Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around. Holden was standing before her in a very handsome tux. His hair was neat and perfect, and he wore a smirk. "Wow, Holden, you look great," she said. He did look good, but it just didn't hit her like it did other girls. She couldn't really understand what they saw in him. He didn't possess unique features that made her heart melt or skin flush with excitement.

"Thank you, that dress fits you perfectly," he said slowly as if his sentence came with a second meaning, looking at her chest.

"I'm glad you think so," she said, uncomfortably pulling up her dress.

They stood in silence. Bailey watched Woody take Addison, who was wearing a beautiful floor length yellow dress, to the dance floor. "Interesting couple aren't they?" he asked.

"They're so cute. I've seen it coming for a long time," she explained.

"Hmm, not as good as us though," Holden breathed.

Bailey gave him a look. "What do you mean by that?"

Holden ignored her. "Oh, there's Zack." He took her by the hand and led her over to Zack. On their way to him, Bailey searched for Cody. Sure enough she saw Maya, Bob, Janice, and Cody sitting at a table. He was sitting alone, staring off. She wanted to walk over to him. Though she couldn't really see him in detail, she could tell that he looked amazing. Her heart melted.

"There you are, Zack. We were looking for you," Holden said as they walked over to Zack.

"Yeah, we were waiting for our dates. We got a table," Zack explained, pouring punch.

"It looks awesome in here. Good work," Holden said, pouring punch as well. Bailey didn't care about following the conversation. Her eyes couldn't leave Cody.

"Bailey, you look really pretty," Zack said.

Bailey finally turned to him. She smiled. "Thanks, I decided to keep my hair down this time." She turned back to Cody's table.

"Well, um, let's go to the table," he offered. Holden took her hand again as they walked to the table.

"Wow, you look fantastic, Bailey!" Janice said.

Bailey smiled. She had to at least appear like she cared and not like there was a buzzing in her ears that wouldn't go away or a fire blazing in her stomach. She turned to Cody. He was dressed in the new tuxedo that Zack had bought him. They made him look like a king. His blonde hair was smooth, shiny, and combed perfectly. He looked so incredible. She felt the butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to kiss him. She wouldn't stop looking at him. She felt herself blush. She had to break the ice.

"You look very handsome, Cody," she said softly. The words were completely under exaggerated. No words could've described how he looked.

He stood up. "Thanks, you-you look…so beautiful." Bailey smiled feeling her insides melt. He really was such a gentleman. That was one of the many things she's always loved about him.

"Oh, I think it's nice that we both decided to wear red, Bailey!" Barbara's voice squeaked.

Bailey turned around and gasped. Barbara was wearing a _very_ short dress. Her dress was a deep, almost seductive shade of red. The middle of the dress was very tight and corset style so her cleavage practically spilled over. Her heels were about 5 inches so she practically towered over all of the girls. She couldn't understand why Barbara was so worried about when it came to her hair. It was simply down with a hair band keeping it out of her face while keeping her breasts in perfect view. It was tacky and over the top, but all of the guys couldn't stop staring at her. She could smell the overwhelming amount of perfume that Barbara put on. She wanted to gag.

Barbara flipped her hair unnecessarily and walked over to Cody. "You look so sexy, Codles. That is an amazing tux. How do you think I look?" Bailey looked at Cody. He had a very blank expression, which Bailey knew meant he was annoyed. She mentally smiled. He thought her outfit was tacky, too.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," he answered plainly.

Barbara giggled and jumped a bit. "Thank you! I worked really hard on this." She turned to the group. "Janice, Maya, Bailey, you all look great." Bailey didn't say anything. She wasn't fooled by her fakeness. A fast song started to play over the music player. Classmates screamed and ran to the dance floor.

"Oh, well, let's go, Cody bear," Barbara ordered, taking his hand and leading him to the dance floor. Bailey finally took her seat and sipped a bit of her punch. She actually wished that it was spiked so she wouldn't have to be fully aware of what was happening.

"Well, that was um…" Bob trailed.

"Disgusting," Maya finished.

"Are you blind? She looks great," Holden said, looking after her. Bailey frowned at him. He was staring at Barbara with his lip bit. More and more she wanted to leave. She turned back to the floor as well. Barbara had her arms around Cody's neck and was practically glued to him.

Maya gave Holden a look, "Are you freaking kidding me? She looks like a whore."

Bailey laughed and Maya turned to her and smiled. Bob was whispering something in Maya's ear. Zack didn't seem too happy about it. He asked Janice to dance after. Bailey cleared her throat. Holden looked to her and smiled. "Do you want to go dance?"

"Yes," Bailey said. He took her hand and led her out. The song was slow. Holden put his hands on her butt. "Don't," she warned giving him a look.

He sighed and placed them on her hips. She put her hands on his shoulders. She didn't want to get too close to him. Holden had far too many hands at times. "So, enjoying the dance?" he asked.

"Yep," she lied. They didn't speak to each other as they moved to the rhythm. She couldn't stand it. It was her second school dance. For the second time, she was spending it with someone she didn't really care for and the person she really wanted was right in front of her, with someone else.

She couldn't breathe. She stopped dancing and moved away. She felt lightheaded. "Can you please get me some water? I don't feel so well," she said.

Holden rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "Sure."

As soon as he was out of sight, she went back to the table. Maya and Bob were on the dance floor as were Zack and Janice. He has a smile on his face, and he seemed to be having a good time. Maybe there was hope for him yet. Bailey sat by herself and watched Cody. She didn't understand why she couldn't have a good time and why she always seemed to be the odd one out at these types of things.

Zack and Janice finally came back to the table.

"I think I'm going to splash some water on my face," Janice said.

"Okay," he answered with a laugh. She kissed his cheek and walked away.

"You two seem to be hitting it off," she said smiling at him.

"I'm having a good time. She's nice," Zack said. His face was flushed, and his already messy hair was even messier.

Bailey nodded. "I'm happy for you. Cody seems to be having a good time, too." She nodded to him and Barbara dancing. She was still glued to his body.

"I'm not so sure. He looked a lot happier when he saw you. Did you notice his expression?" he asked.

She sighed. "Thanks, Zack, but you don't have to lie to me." She was tired of trying to see things on the bright side. She'd rather just see the reality of it.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

She looked back to Cody for a minute. Her night was going terribly, and she didn't want it to get worse. If Zack and Cody could enjoy their night, then so could she. "Nothing, just…enjoy your night and good luck if you're still going to talk to Maya." She quickly got up and walked over to Holden who was talking to a group of guys instead of getting her water. She mentally nodded and tapped his arm.

He turned to her. "Oh, I was just getting your drink."

"Do you want to go somewhere a bit quieter?" she whispered in his ear.

His eyes seemed to light up. He smirked and nodded. Holden took her hand and led her off of the deck. She didn't say anything as he led the way. "I knew you liked me," he said. They finally reached a deserted hallway. He sat down on the ground, and she joined him. She studied her hands. She had to pull herself together. Holden took one of her hands and kissed her fingertips. She tried to smile and enjoy it. "So… you and me…us."

"Excuse me?" she asked. She shivered as he kissed her palm, and his tongue dragged across her skin. It made her body burn. However, it wasn't in the electrifying way when Cody touched her. No, this burning sensation hurt and made her feel unsafe.

He chuckled. "I knew that you were into me. I just didn't know if tonight would be the night."

"The night of what exactly?" she asked. She pulled her hand away and rubbed her hands together.

Holden moved closer to her. "Oh, you play so hard to get. I've always liked that about you."

He was so close to her that she could smell his body heat. His lips were inches from hers. She closed her eyes and felt his mouth press against hers. His hand immediately went to her knee. She kept hers in her lap. Her body went stiff and cold as they kissed. Holden's hand slowly moved higher up her thigh, and it left a burning trail of fear in its wake. She held her hands tightly. It was the only way to keep herself from smacking his hand away.

He licked her bottom lip, but Bailey couldn't open her mouth. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. She pulled away. "Holden," she said.

"What? You want to go somewhere else?" he asked.

Bailey looked at him. He was a handsome guy. He was talented and popular and had a lot of charm. However, none of it mattered to her. She didn't feel anything for him. Even if she kissed him all night, she knew that it wouldn't make a difference. There was only one man that made her feel good and only one man that she trusted with her body, and it wasn't Holden.

"No, I want to leave," she said.

"Where do you have in mind?" he asked with a smile.

"No, Holden, not with you. Thank you for being my escort, but the date is over," she explained.

He simply stared. "You're joking right? You don't want to be with me tonight?"

"Or ever in that case," she added. He rolled his eyes and moved his hand higher up her leg, but she slapped it away. "Don't! I mean it."

He stood up. "You know what Pickett; you're a real piece of work. Good luck finding whatever it is that you think you deserve." He gave her a scowl before walking away.

Bailey sighed and shivered again. She rubbed her lips, trying to erase all traces of him. She felt a lump in her throat. She had to get away. She walked the halls in silence. She didn't want to go back to the party, but she wasn't quite ready to go to bed. She decided to go to a nearby abandoned classroom until she figured out what to do next. She turned the handle on the door and walked in.

She heard moaning. She immediately stepped out until she heard the giggle. It was high-pitched and very distinguishable. It was Barbara. Bailey stepped back into the room and quietly closed the door. There was light that seemed to come from a flashlight near the bookshelf. She got on her knees and shuffled over to get a better look. The vision before her made her heart stop.

Cody was sitting on the teacher's chair with his tie loosened. Barbara was sitting on his lap and was kissing him roughly. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, and she moaned over and over again. Cody had his hands on her waist. Bailey needed to leave. She wasn't a creep, and she didn't want to see them but for some reason her legs wouldn't move and her eyes were glued to them. She bit her lip and tried to hide herself as best she could behind the bookshelf.

Barbara pulled away from him and moaned. "Oh, Codles." She giggled and sucked on his neck.

"N-not so hard," he said softly.

"Oh, oops, forgot. You don't like hickies," she giggled.

Cody gave her a small smile before looking off as she gnawed on his neck. He didn't seem to notice. His hands didn't move, and his expression didn't change. It was very distant. It was no different than how he looked at the Easy Squeezy. Bailey wondered where he was in his head. He certainly wasn't there with Barbara. Her hand went to his crotch. She squeezed him through his pants. Bailey felt her body heat up. It was part from anger and jealously. Barbara giggled again and went back to kissing him. Her hand began to fiddle with his trousers zipper. Cody parted from her. "Wait, what are you doing?" he asked.

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Well, I can't touch you if your pants are in the way, can I?"

He blushed. "No, guess not."

"Oh, you're so silly, Codles," Barbara said. She kissed him again. Her hand went back to his zipper.

Bailey turned away. She couldn't watch anymore. She couldn't watch Cody and Barbara have sex in her place of refuge. She couldn't watch the only man she wanted take another girl. She could feel her chest cave in, and her eyes swell with tears. She couldn't remember any other moment in her life feeling that low. She was so incredibly jealous. For once, she truly wanted to be Barbara. She wanted to be the one that Cody gave himself to.

"Wait, stop," Cody said. Bailey turned back around. He put his hand on Barbara's and moved it away from him. "I can't do this."

Barbara pouted. "What, do you want to go somewhere else?"

"No, it's not that. It's just…this is wrong," he said quietly.

Barbara kissed his nose. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me. I'm ready, and I really want to do this. I don't care where we are."

Cody didn't seem relieved. "That's great, but I'm not ready. I don't want to do this, anywhere."

She gawked at him. "Did I do something wrong?"

He rubbed his neck. "No, this isn't about you. I'm just not ready to take what we're doing any further." A wave of warmth came over Bailey. The grief that she felt melted away a bit. She had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming out with joy. She closed her eyes and remembered why she was so in love with Cody.

Barbara flipped her hair. "Oh, so, are you not ready to go any further or just not ready to go any further with me?"

Cody frowned. "What are you saying?"

Barbara stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "I think you know what I'm saying. It has to do with you not wanting me."

He got up as well and fixed his hair. "I don't want to fight about this-"

"Well, that's too damn bad. I find it interesting that you don't want to go any further with me," she spat.

He shook his head. "Listen to yourself. You're angry with me because I don't want to have sex with you. How would it look if I was mad at you for not being ready? You're being so unfair."

"No, you are being unfair. If you honestly aren't ready, then that's fine. I can wait, but don't tell me it's because you're not ready to do it. You're just not ready to do it with me!" Barbara had tears in her eyes. She sniffed and quickly wiped them away.

Cody sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, if you want to make this all about yourself like you always do, fine, but I'm going to bed." He picked up his jacket and headed for the door. Bailey gasped and hid herself further back. She couldn't let them see her.

Barbara grabbed his arm. "No C-Cody, you don't get to walk away from me this time. You have a lot to think about. I care about you so much, but I'm not stupid." She kissed his lips softly and sniffed again. "Goodnight, Cody." She opened the door and left.

Cody looked after her and groaned. He touched his lips with his eyes closed as if he was thinking about something. He opened his eyes, nodded, and left soon after.

When the coast was clear, Bailey got from behind the book shelf and stood up. She shook terribly. There was so much going on in her mind. Everything she thought about Cody's relationship with Barbara was fuzzed over. She wasn't sure of what to believe. Her heart raced and she swore that she could hear it beating. Hope grew inside her. There was no way she could talk to Cody about her feelings that night but a small part inside believe she would no longer have to wait.

For once, Barbara might have been right about something.

**Ta-da! Well that was a big chapter! A few things I need to go over first!**

**1. Barbara was supposed to look like whore. She knew that she was going to try to get Cody to have sex with her so she had to dress very seductively.**

**2. Holden is a real jerk! He only used Bailey to try and have sex with her! Bailey is smarter than that though and would NOT sleep with him! **

**3. I will say this once so no one gets confused (ahem); CODY AND BARBARA DID NOT HAVE SEX NOR WILL THEY EVER! Cody is smart and would not go that far with her. We all know he's not the kind of guy that's going to sleep with a slut like her. Don't start hating on Cody because he was smart enough to not sleep with Barbara! He stopped her and continued to say no even when she tried to keep manipulating him.**

**Well I guess that's it! Stay tuned for chapter 12! C: REVIEW PLEASE SO I KNOW TO KEEP THIE STORY GOING! Love you all!**

**-Sophie c:**


	13. One bad rumor

**Hey guys! Here's chapter 12! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life.**

"She didn't say much. Actually, she really didn't say anything. She kept repeating that it was over but that's all, I swear," Zack said.

Bailey sighed and rubbed her eyes. "How long were you two sitting down there?"

He gave her a look. "It's not like I was timing us."

"Hey, don't snap at her. Bailey's just curious. I am, too. Maya's my friend too, you know," Cody snapped back just as rudely.

She gave Cody a quick glance. He had a terrible expression on his face. It seemed to be a mixture of worry and annoyance. It was exam week, and the three of them were trying to study as much and as often as possible. It was only now that they were able to talk about their nights at the dance.

Zack sighed. "I'm sorry, but maybe you should ask her. I'm not hiding anything. That's all that happened. She cried, I sat there, and then she went to bed. I offered to walk her, but she wanted to go alone."

"I've tried talking to her. She doesn't want to talk about it," Bailey said regrettably. She wanted to help Maya but for some reason Bailey had a feeling that Maya was upset with her, and she knew why.

"I haven't even tried talking to Bob, the bastard. I'll end up punching him in the face first," Zack mumbled.

"Please, don't do that, Zack. It won't help. Besides, why do you automatically assume that it's his fault and not something mutual?" she asked.

Cody gave her an incredulous look. "Have you seen Maya? She's absolutely gutted. He must have done something to her. I just…I don't understand it. They looked happy at the dance."

"I'm not so sure. They did seem a bit off all night," Bailey put in.

Cody glared at her. "And how would you know? You were with Holden."

"I can say the same thing about you and Barbara, Cody," she replied.

"Let's not argue. Things are tense enough," Zack said annoyed.

Cody didn't seem to listen. "Well, do you like Barbara?"

His voice was harsh and dry. Bailey didn't like the anger behind his eyes. "No," she said quietly.

"Then I suggest you drop it," Cody said. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled at the blonde strands. "Screw this, it's obvious that I'm not going to get any studying done." He got out of the chair and packed up his books.

"Where are you going?" Zack asked.

"I don't know and I don't care," he answered. He threw his bag over his shoulder and left the Aqua lounge without another word.

Bailey looked after him. She hadn't seen him so upset. "He's so angry."

"Well, he thinks you fucked Holden," Zack said simply.

She turned back to him and her jaw dropped. "I didn't! I barely let him kiss me!" Zack didn't look convinced. "You believe me, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he said, "but you made it look exceptionally convincing that you wanted to do something with him. The way you two ran off…I was worried."

Bailey felt sick to her stomach. "It took two seconds of him touching me to realize that I made a mistake. I know I shouldn't have left with him, but I was angry. I didn't think Cody would care."

"Oh, he certainly cared and the way Holden is strutting around the boat doesn't help either," he explained.

She put her face in her hands. "This was such a terrible decision. I can't believe that I chose to go with him. I never wanted any of this to happen. Now Cody thinks that I let Holden have me. I would never do that." Bailey thought that Cody would have said something to her the next day after the dance. She was so sure that what she saw between Cody and Barbara meant that it was over between them, but she was sadly mistaken. Cody was moodier than usual and Holden's constant smirks only added to the irritation.

"You're not the only one. Cody didn't do anything with Barbara. That's why she's so upset," Zack said with a small smile.

Bailey looked up at him. She forgot that he didn't know about what she saw. "Did he tell you that?"

"Yeah, I asked him if they did anything that night and he said no. Barbara has barely spoken to him. I can't believe so much happened in one night. I can't believe Maya and Bob aren't together," he said, his eyes growing larger with each word.

She studied him. "You don't seem too happy about it."

Zack heaved a sigh and shook his head. "From the moment they started dating, I've wanted it to be over. I would think of them splitting up and how happy I would be. I couldn't wait for this day, but, now that it has, I don't feel happiness at all. Bob looks like a zombie and Maya…I never wanted for her to hurt this badly. I know she cares for him, but I didn't know it was like this."

"She does care about him, Zack. You knew that," she said.

He simply shrugged. "If this is what has to happen for me to have a chance with her, then I don't know if I want it. I don't know if it's worth all of this." Zack looked away from her but Bailey knew what was behind his blue eyes. It was shame. She knew it because she felt the same way. Maybe they had taken things too far.

Exams were a lot harder than Bailey expected. Her mind was everywhere but her work. However, she managed through it. It was finally time for relaxation and Christmas break. She was in her room packing. It was the day before the boat was to dock in New York City. Barbara stormed into the room and flopped on London's bed.

"I hate my life," she whined.

"What's wrong?" London asked.

Barbara kicked off her shoes and flipped her hair. "I just got a call from my parents. We are staying with my gran almost the whole freaking time. I won't be able to do anything else."

"Is there something wrong with your grandmother?" London asked amused.

"No, but I want to go see Codles and try to patch things up. This week has given me no time to really talk and be with him. I don't know how I'm going to manage the entire break without him," she sobbed. Bailey tried to hide her eye roll. She was so sick of Barbara and a break from her would be the best medicine. "I know you must be excited, Bailey."

Bailey turned to her. "Sorry, what?"

Barbara put her hands on her hips. "Don't act all innocent with me. I know you must be all excited that Codles and I are having some issues, and even more that you'll be staying with him while I'm not there."

"Barbara, you need to calm down. I've always spent Christmas with Cody in Boston. I don't see why that has to change just because of you. He's my best friend," Bailey explained.

Barbara got out of the bed and walked over to her. "Well, I don't really care about any of that. All I know is that I'm on to you. Cody is just too nice to see it, but I know you're stirring up something. Just remember that he's mine, okay? So, you can look and drool all you want to, but at the end of the night, you're sleeping alone."

Bailey laughed. "Do you think that I'm going to make out with him while he's sleeping?"

Barbara smiled evilly at her. "It wouldn't surprise me."

"Come on girls, let's not fight, okay?" London said.

"Oh, I'm not fighting. I'm just talking to Bailey. Dear, sweet, country girl, Bailey," Barbara mocked wickedly.

"Shut up, Barbara. You have a lot of nerve judging me," she said.

"And you've got plenty of nerve carrying on that innocent routine. I know that you're secretly in love with Cody. I know that you don't want him and me together, but that's just something that you are going to have to get over. So, whatever plans you're thinking about using over holiday, don't. Besides, I doubt it would make a difference anyway," Barbara said quietly.

Bailey's curiosity won out. "Why is that?"

Barbara smiled. "Well, word has it that you and Holden fucked at the dance. Once again Bailey, you're a slut."

Burning fury raced up her body. "Lavender, you call _me_ a slut?! Look at the way you dressed at the dance and then tell me who the real slut is. I think it would be better if you walked away from me." She was very close to attacking Barbara.

"Yes, come on, Barbara. We still have some gifts to wrap, right?" London said, nervously pulling Barbara away.

Barbara kept her gaze on her but followed London to her bed. Bailey turned away and tried to focus on folding her clothes, but it was useless. She couldn't be the same room with Barbara. She had to leave. She stormed out of the cabin and ran in the opposite direction. She could not leave things as they were. She had to fix it.

When she reached Cody's cabin, she knocked loudly and repeatedly. Woody answered the door. "Hey, Bailey," he said with a smile.

"Hi, um, is Cody in there?" she asked.

Woody's smile widened. "Yeah, come on in." She smiled back and walked into the room. She saw Cody sitting on his bed half-folding clothes but mostly staring into space.

"Well, I'll leave you to it," Woody said before walking out of the room.

She cleared her throat to let Cody know that she was in the room. He didn't respond. She sighed. "Cody."

"Yeah," he said, still not looking up.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"Go ahead," he said, "but I don't know what we need to discuss."

Bailey slowly walked over to him and sat on Woody's bed. Cody finally looked up at her. He was a bit paler than usual. She didn't know where to begin. She thought about the night of the dance, and about what she had seen. It was eating her alive. "You do know I plan to stay with you over the vacation, right?" she asked. Cody nodded but said nothing. She continued, "Is that still okay?"

"Of course it's okay. Why wouldn't it be?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Please, don't act that way. I know that you're mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you?" he asked.

"Damn it, Cody! Don't do this! I know you think that I had sex with Holden. The whole boat does," she said, getting up.

Cody turned away and rubbed his neck. "I don't need the details."

"I'm not going to give you details. I'm not giving you anything because there's nothing to tell! I didn't do anything with him, Cody. I promise you that I didn't!" she yelled, feeling a lump in her throat. It wasn't supposed to be like this. What she did was supposed to help, not make things worse.

He shook his head. "You don't have to make promises to me. You're free to do whatever you want. I don't own you or anything. I'm not your boyfriend." His voice seemed to crack.

Bailey's chest hurt. She wanted to tell him that she knew about him and Barbara. She wanted to tell him that she could never let Holden have her because she only wanted him touching her. She wanted to tell him that she was completely and hopelessly in love with him. She had to. It was now or never. "C-Cody I-"

"If anyone deserves an explanation, it's Moose," he interrupted.

"What?" she asked confused.

Cody shrugged. "He's your boyfriend, right? I mean you two mail all those letters back and forth. Whenever Zack brings up his name, you can't get that look off your face. He's the one that you need to talk to about this, not me." He pulled at the string on his blanket and avoided her eyes.

Bailey sat back on Zack's bed. Her heart caved in. Things were way too out of hand now. She couldn't tell Cody the truth. There were too many lies that would only worsen the situation. "I guess," she mumbled. She didn't know what to do or say. They sat in silence until Bailey couldn't take looking at Cody any longer. She left the room wiping tears from her eyes.

She roamed the boat realizing that she and Zack had made a mistake. All their schemes only complicated things. She felt so stupid. Bailey leaned against a wall and slid down. She thought about going to Kettlecorn. She didn't want to be around Cody, but the idea of not seeing him was far worse. She was used to not having him; another holiday wouldn't make a difference.

"Can I join you?" someone asked.

Bailey looked up. It was Bob. "Oh, yeah, sure."

He sat next to her on the floor. "Taking a walk?"

"Yes, I just wanted to clear my head. You?" she asked.

Bob shrugged. "Just wanted to be alone."

She looked at him. His expression was vacant. He seemed so drained, and she could relate. "Are you okay?"

He turned to her, and shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bailey asked.

He twiddled his thumbs. "We just didn't get on. We were always fighting about something, and it was the same something. We tried. I tried to let it go, but it's hard to ignore something that's staring you right in face and makes your insides hurt, you know?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew what that felt like better than anyone. "You mean Zack?"

He groaned. "Please, don't get on my back about it. I know he's your best friend and all…"

Bailey placed a hand on his. "Bob, I won't. It's okay, go ahead."

He sighed. "It's…it's so hard to compete with him. I know he and Maya have this undying bond and that he saved her life and that she always goes to Boston with him. I know that they're really good friends. I know Zack is kind, brave, and loyal. I know all this shit that I hear from everyone all the time!" Bob's brown eyes were massive, and he balled his fists.

Bailey didn't want to add to his frustration, but she had to know. "But…" she added softly.

He looked down before locking his eyes on her. "But she was my girlfriend, and I love her. I just want it to be about her and me. I know Zack hasn't always supported me with Maya, but I don't care. I thought I had her. So, I got so jealous and angry when I'd see the way she would look at him and how they were always so close."

"They're just friends, Bob," she tried.

"I'm not an idiot, Bailey. I know she likes him, but I honestly thought that she would let it go. I thought if I loved her hard enough, then she'd give her feelings for Zack to me," he said. "I just want her so badly, but it's as if I'll always be a step behind Zack. I don't hate him, but I wish he wasn't around. I wish that he didn't make Maya feel so good. Does that make me selfish, Bailey?"

"No, that makes you human. That makes you in love. I can understand that…always feeling behind." Bailey turned away, once again thinking about Barbara's words, how she was so pretty, how she was casual like Cody, and how Cody kissed and touched her so delicately.

"Maya told me that she needs a break. She needs time to think, but I'm worried. She'll be spending all vacation with him," Bob said.

Bailey felt so terrible. She wanted Zack to be happy, but she didn't realize how unhappy it would make Bob. Maybe Zack was right. As much as she wanted Zack to find his love, she knew that Bob didn't deserve all the pain. "I'm sorry, Bob," was all she could think of. "I do know that no matter what, Maya does love you. This is hard for her, too."

He nodded. "I keep telling myself that. Things just happen so fast; you barely have time to realize what you're doing. I didn't want us to break up, but if Maya needs to think, then she should. I need to think as well. I need to get over this jealously thing because if I get her back, I don't want to fuck it up again." He got up from the floor. "I still have so much to do before the ship docks. I think I'm going to head to bed. How about you?"

"I'll stay here for a bit," she answered.

Bob smiled. "Thanks for listening."

"No problem. We're friends, too," she answered. He gave her one more smile before walking off. Bailey couldn't watch him. He reminded her too much of herself. She and Zack had done it to him, and she had a feeling that because of their actions, she would end up just like him. Bailey pulled her legs against her chest and hugged herself. Nothing made sense anymore, and she felt like a monster. She felt so guilty.

The next morning, the ship was louder and busier than usual. Everyone was packing up and saying goodbye. Bailey sat on the sky deck, waiting for Zack, Cody, Maya, and London to show up. She hardly got any sleep the night before.

Zack came onto the deck and sat next to her. "You ready?"

"I don't know. What is there to look forward to?" she asked.

"At least we can get away from this for a while and figure out what we're going to do. If there's anything we can do," he said.

"Yeah, anything that won't result in anymore heartache," she muttered. Surprisingly, Maya and Bob came into the hall together. Bailey watched carefully as Bob gave her a small box. She took it with a smile a hugged him. She whispered something in his ear that made him grin. He kissed her forehead and gave her hand a squeeze before walking away. Maya walked over to them.

"You okay?" Bailey asked.

Maya gazed at the box. "Yes, I'm okay," she answered quietly.

Zack rubbed her arm. "That's good to hear." Maya didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on the box. Time passed on. Zack didn't take his eyes off Maya. She decided to buy herself a smoothie. She needed something to take her mind off things.

"It's about time," Zack breathed. Bailey looked up and saw Cody walking over to them. "What took you so long? When I left you were still sleeping. Usually you're the one up early."

"Leave me alone. I went back to sleep for a bit, that's all," Cody mumbled.

Zack smiled a little. "Well, let's go. I can't wait to go back to the Tipton."

"Couldn't agree more. I really miss everyone." Cody said. He gave his brother a tender smile that he returned. Bailey couldn't help but smile herself. Cody cared about Zack so much and was such an amazing brother.

The group got up to get off but Barbara ran up to them. Her eyes were a bit puffy. "I forgot to give you this," she said to Cody, holding out a rather large box.

He put his stuff down and took it. "Thanks, I haven't wrapped yours yet."

Barbara smiled softly. "It's okay. You can just send it to me."

Cody returned her smile and they stared at each other in silence. He scratched his head. "Well, see you in the new year."

"Yeah, see you," Barbara answered. She slowly walked closer to him and held her arms out. Cody embraced her. They held each other for a second before pulling away. Barbara quickly kissed his lips. It wasn't her usual sloppy kiss. It was brief and soft. "Bye," she whispered.

"Bye," he answered back. Barbara bit her lip. Bailey knew she would soon cry. Barbara gave Cody a wave before running off.

"What was that all about?" Zack asked.

Cody shook his head. "Let's just go." The group picked up their things and headed off. Bailey took a deep breath.

Things were bad enough; she hoped the holiday would make them better.

**Thanks for reading! This chapter was just to kind of set up some conflicts and situations coming up. You see a softer, almost sympathetic side to Bob in this. You almost feel bad for him. I just want to clear this up before anyone asks; no, Bailey and Holden did NOT have sex. That is just a rumor that will come back later. Things have become awkward for Cody and Barbara, huh? You'll just have to wait to see what happens! Ok I'll stop babbling XD Please review!**

**-Sophie**


	14. I love you, Maya

**Hi everyone. I'm so sorry it's been like 2 and a half months since I've updated! I've been really busy with school and some personal stuff...But I'm back and I have the next chapter for you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite life or any of the characters.**

**So here it is! The long awaited chapter 14! :D Enjoy!**

Zack walked into the kitchen of his suite in Boston. He looked around and immediately felt relaxed and happy. He was so glad to be home. After a long 4 months, it was nice to see his mom again. "Well, why don't you all get settled and I'll make lunch. Bailey and Maya you two can room together," Carey said, coming in the door after him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Martin," Bailey said politely.

Carey smiled. She turned to Zack. "Don't worry, Zack we'll get you nice and fed before you go back to the boat. Cody tells me that you're eating, but I just don't see it."

Cody sighed and rolled his eyes. "Mom, he's not starving himself."

"Thank you, mom. I appreciate it," Zack said chuckling.

"Come on, Zack," Cody said, leading them to their room.

Zack watched Maya and Bailey enter the extra bedroom next to theirs. Maya didn't look pleased and neither did Bailey. He knew that there was something going on. Maya probably thought that Bailey had slept with Holden, too. Cody and Zack walked into their room. Cody frowned. "I thought you told mom that you cleaned before we left."

Zack dropped his bags and flopped on his bed. "I did clean up."

Cody shook his head and sat on his bed. Zack wasn't sure what of to say. While he was glad to be away from school, the extended period of being around Maya would only make him more nervous. He turned to Cody. He was gazing at the floor, but his eyes were unfocused. "Codes, are you okay?"

He blinked several times and looked up at him. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He didn't look at him for too long. Zack knew his brother so well that it only took one look in the eyes for him to know what was really going on. There was a sort of uncomfortable silence that wedged between them, but a knock at the door defused it.

"Come in," Cody said, still avoiding Zack's eyes.

The door opened and Bailey walked through. She smiled slightly. "Thought I'd come in here. Maya wants to take a nap."

"A nap?" Cody asked. Bailey closed the door and sat next to Zack. Zack noticed Cody frown a bit.

"Well, I think she just wants to be alone more than anything else. You saw how she was on the car ride here. She hardly said a word," Bailey explained.

"I didn't think she would take things this badly. Bob must mean a lot to her," Cody said quietly.

Zack could not stand the shame eating his insides. He stood up. "I'm gonna go see if she's okay."

"Maybe you should just let her be," Cody said.

"I'm not going to bother her. I just want to see if she needs anything," Zack said. He didn't give them time to respond. He walked to her room and exhaled deeply before knocking on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again. "Maya, come on, it's me," he said softly.

He could hear her bed creak. She opened the door slowly. Zack had been around Maya since he was fifteen, but looking at her still affected him. She was so beautiful. "Do you need something?" she asked in a small voice.

"No, I wanted to see if you needed anything," he answered.

She ran a hand through her hair and the brown strands flowed back into her face. "No, I'm okay, thanks."

Zack sighed. "Maya, I just want to help. I know you are upset. You don't have to act so strong all the time."

She laughed dryly and opened the door so he could come in. "That's a bit rich, coming from you."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically, walking in. He leaned against the small dresser.

Maya sat on the bed and hugged a pillow. "So, is there something in particular that you want to talk about?"

Zack shrugged. "Not really, well, maybe…" She looked at him as if asking him to continue. He cleared his throat. "Well, I guess about the breakup."

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it and especially with you."

He gaped at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She didn't look at him. "I can't talk about Bob with you. You won't care."

Zack walked over to her and sat next to her. She moved away slightly and turned away. "Why wouldn't I care? Of course I care, Maya. You're my friend. Maya…look at me."

Maya turned back to him. Her eyes were wet. "What, Zack?"

"We are friends, aren't we?" he asked.

She sniffed and rubbed her nose on her sleeve. "Of course we are."

"Then why won't you let me be here for you? Why are you shutting Bailey and me out?" He asked.

Maya rolled her eyes. "Like I can learn anything from Bailey right now. She's got her own issues."

"You think that she slept with Holden, don't you?" Zack asked.

"I really don't care what she did. All I know is that Cody is completely broken up about it," she explained.

Zack wanted to smile. Maya tended to give Cody a hard time, but he knew they were still good friends. "Well, don't you think that Bailey could have felt the same way about things?"

She shrugged. "Don't give me that, Zack. I'm not stupid. I know that Cody likes her and she has a thing for him, no matter who she dates. It's obvious that she's toying with his feelings and I don't like it. You're his brother, why aren't you defending him? I mean Cody is…Cody. He's smart, but he can miss little details like this, but I expect more from her."

"I guess you're right," Zack said.

Maya smiled. "Is this really what we're going to do? Are we going to argue about Cody and Bailey?"

"No, I don't want to argue about them. I don't want to fight about anything. I just want you to be okay," he said. He placed a hand on hers.

She pulled away. "Please don't."

"Why?" Harry asked.

Maya turned away again. "I just-I don't want it. It's great that you care but stop."

He felt frustration boil. He had no idea what Maya wanted and what she felt. "Maya, I can't just stop caring. You came to me remember? You came running into my arms and cried that night."

She stood up. "I'm fully aware, okay? I know that I came crying to you. I know that once again, poor pathetic Maya Bennett could only be consoled by Zack Martin."

"That's not what I meant," he tried.

"I don't care what you meant. Look, I just want to be alone. I-I need to think okay? Can you let me think?" she asked.

Zack turned away from her. After everything that they have been through together, he thought it would bring them closer and make them stronger, but it didn't seem to be that way at all. He couldn't reach her. He got up. "Fine, I'll leave, but just know that you can't use that line on me." He walked to the door and turned back to her. "I'm not Bob, Maya. Stop treating me like I am." He opened the door and walked out, feeling defeated.

Lunch was terrible. Zack only ate because he knew that Carey wanted him to. He picked at his sandwich and swallowed painfully. His entire body ached. He was unhappy. Maya was unhappy. Cody was unhappy, and Bailey was unhappy, and it all seemed to be because of him. It was his idea. He pushed for him and Bailey to do something, and their actions seemed to cause even more pain.

"What is with you guys? I'd think that being away from school would brighten up your day," Carey said.

"Mrs. Martin, can I be excused? I'm not that hungry," Maya said softly.

Carey looked at her in such a concerned way. "Of course you may, sweetheart." Maya got up from the table and walked into her room. "What is wrong with her?"

"Mom, why don't I help you clean up? I'll tell you about it," Cody said, getting up from the table.

"I can help clean up, too," Bailey offered.

"No, Bailey, it's okay," Carey said distracted. She quickly got up and followed Cody into the kitchen. Zack got up from the table as well and followed Bailey into his and Cody's room.

"I can't take this," Bailey said, taking a seat on Cody's bed and holding one of his pillows. "What did Maya say to you when you went to talk to her?"

"Nothing really. I don't think she wants to be here," Zack confessed.

"I don't think she wants me here, either. She's barely spoken to me since we got here," she said.

He looked at his best friend. Bailey's face was so pained. He wanted to help her, but he couldn't even help himself. He hated feeling so powerless. "She thinks that you slept with Holden."

"I didn't and I don't know how many more times I have to say it! Why does she care anyway? She told me that she thought I should get out more," Bailey defended.

"Yeah, but in her eyes you betrayed Cody. She's more angry that Cody's upset than anything else." Zack had to smile at that. Maya's loyalty was one of the many reasons why he loved her so much.

"Well, Cody hasn't said much, either. He can barely look at me. Ugh! It's so frustrating. I know that what I did was wrong, but I really didn't do anything. They won't believe me. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean to make Cody or Maya hate me. Maybe I should just go home." Bailey wiped her eyes and held Cody's pillow tighter. Zack walked over and sat next to her.

"Hey, hey, I know that you didn't mean to hurt anyone, and Cody doesn't hate you. He could never hate you. You know how he gets about things like this. Maya also doesn't hate you," Zack said, squeezing her shoulder.

Bailey turned to him and sniffed gently. "And what about you, Zack? Do you hate me?"

He grinned. "I might consider it if you leave. I need you here. We have to figure this out together."

Bailey returned his smile. "Thanks, Zack, you're absolutely right. I can't run from this. We have to figure something out." She hugged him.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you two were…um." Zack and Bailey looked up. Cody was standing at the door with his eyes wide.

Zack immediately moved away. "We were just talking, Cody. How's mom?"

He nodded in a skeptical way and sat on Zack's bed. "She was pretty upset after I told her. She asked me if Bob had done something."

"And what did you say?" Bailey asked.

He rolled his eyes. "I told her that I wasn't sure, but I think that it was a mutual decision. They haven't really gotten on in ages. Then she asked how things were going with Barbara." He looked away and rubbed his cheek.

"And what did you say to that?" Zack asked.

Cody didn't seem to hear him at first. "Things are fine," he said quietly, not turning to them. The three of them were quiet and lost in their own thoughts.

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I stay with y'all. I don't want to disturb Maya," Bailey said.

"Bailey, when have you ever asked permission to do something?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, no matter what we say, you'll just barge in anyway," Cody added cheekily.

Bailey threw the pillow at Cody and lightly swatted Zack's arm. "Both of you can shut up."

Zack and Cody burst into laughter. "Okay, Cody, get the games out," Zack said, trying to lighten the mood.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games and trying to ignore all the problems that the three of them had. It was bittersweet for Zack. He enjoyed being with them more than anything, but he was worried about Maya. He hated the fact that she was in her room, alone and upset. He wanted to protect and keep her safe. He always had. There was something about Maya that made Zack want to take care of her and make her happy. He couldn't feel complete knowing that she wasn't okay.

"Do you think dinner is ready?" Cody asked hours later. He was sprawled out on the floor. They were worn out from chess and cards.

"I'm not sure. Doesn't you nose usually tell us?" Zack asked. Cody kicked him.

"What time is your dad getting here, guys?" Bailey asked from Cody's bed. She was laying on her stomach, and her head was near the edge of the mattress. She couldn't keep her eyes off Cody.

Cody, of course, didn't seem to notice. He shrugged. "Not sure. I know he's working later and later these days. Being on tour all over the world is a lot of work."

"He can handle it. Our dad is the only one for the job," Zack said with a smile.

He chuckled. "Yeah, you should see all of the guitars he has in the garage. Some of them are really unique, but most of them are pretty boring."

"Maybe you should have taken guitar lessons," Bailey said.

Cody frowned. "I'm not very musically talented. Besides, don't you know how to play guitar? Anytime I need to know something, I'll just ask you."

"That's very independent of you, Cody," she said sarcastically, but Zack knew that on the inside she was thrilled.

He turned to her and smiled. "Thank you, Bailey."

"Oh, I wasn't being serious," she answered back.

Cody crawled over to her and got real close to her face. "I finally got a cell phone, didn't I?"

Bailey became very red and covered her mouth as she laughed. "Yeah, and you were one of the last people on Earth to not have one when you did."

He smirked and shrugged. "Hey, what are you gonna do with me?" he asked quietly.

Her cheeks went faintly pink again. "I'm not sure yet."

They continued to grin and stare at each other. Zack watched awkwardly as they flirted and made lustful eyes at one another. They were so obvious with their feelings but somehow they just didn't connect them together. He slowly and quietly got up and cleared his throat. "Hmm, um, well, I think I will go see if dinner is ready."

"Okay, thanks, Zack," Cody said, not taking his eyes off Bailey.

"Yep," Zack answered, walking backwards to the door. He grinned. It was the first time in a while that Cody and Bailey both looked happy. It was not a coincidence that it was because they were together. He left the room and was sure that they were still staring at each other.

Before going to the kitchen, he stopped outside Maya's door. He didn't knock, but he put his ear up to the door to see if he could hear her crying. There was silence. He figured that she must have been sleeping. He walked down the rest of the stairs and heard his mom's voice. He smiled and began to walk into the kitchen to say hello.

"Is that what Cody told you?" Kurt asked. Zack immediately held back and rested against the wall to listen.

"He said it was probably mutual, but I know better," Carey said.

"Oh, God," Kurt said.

"She's not over Zack, and it's eating away at her. Kurt, I'm worried. I know it's not Zack's fault, but Maya has to learn to move on. I don't know how much longer I can take her being like this." Zack didn't have to see his mother's face to know she was upset.

"Maya's a strong person. She will bounce back from this. Besides, it's not too late for her and Zack. Remember, it took me three years after meeting you to finally get the nerve to ask you out on a date," Kurt said.

Carey chuckled. "I was beginning to think that I'd have to do it myself. It must be where Cody gets it. Bailey has a lot more patience than I would've had."

Zack had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Bailey would turn purple when she found out about this. He heard a loud sniff coming from the sitting room. He turned around and saw Maya on the couch. Once again, she seemed to be crying. She gazed at the floor as tears streamed down her face. She was such a tough person and rarely showed her fear and sadness. Now, it seemed as if she couldn't keep it in no matter what she did. He didn't want to disturb her, but he couldn't stand seeing her so upset and not help.

"Maya," he said quietly.

She jumped and looked up. "Oh, Zack, how long have you been there?" She wiped her eyes and sniffed loudly.

"Just a second or two. Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," he said.

"No, it's okay. Come and sit down," she said. Zack smiled gently and took a seat next to her. She continued to wipe and sniff. Her eyes were so puffy and red. "Look, I want to apologize for how I acted earlier. You're right. You're not Bob, and I shouldn't push you away."

"Hey, don't feel like you need to apologize. You're going through a lot right now. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I care a lot about you, Maya." Zack had to turn away from her eyes. He didn't know how long he would last.

Maya smiled and wiped her eyes. "I just feel really bad. I have ever since it happened."

Zack turned back to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She took a breath. "It's funny really. Everyone thinks that it was something mutual or that he did something to me because I'm crying all over the place and he seems to be okay."

"He's not okay," he cut in.

Maya frowned. "I know that, and it's my fault. Bob didn't do anything to me, and it was not mutual. I-I broke up with him."

Zack's heart seemed to pound against his chest. "Why?" he asked.

She pulled at a loose string on the pillow cushion. "He wanted to stay together. I…didn't. I need time and space from him. I know that it sounds selfish, but it's honest. I didn't think that it would be so hard, though. I miss him, and I do really care for him."

Zack tried his hardest to look interested and supportive. "I know you do, Maya. He does, too."

She stared at him. "That night after I broke up with him, I ran off. I-I went looking for you, Zack. You were the one that I wanted to see and talk to first. I don't know why. I just did, but I couldn't find you. You ended up finding me. You always find me whenever I need you." She smiled at him.

Zack's insides melted. Her smile was so beautiful. Her brown eyes were soft, and her mouth was perfect. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He wanted so much, but he was too afraid to go for it. He was too terrified of losing her. He swallowed hard. "I'll always find you, Maya. I'm not going anywhere."

Her face flushed with color. She licked her lips, and Zack watched in a trance. "Good, I don't want you to leave," she whispered.

Zack was sure that his body was soaked with sweat. He moved closer to her. Maya put her forehead against his. Zack touched her face and ran his thumb across her cheek. She leaned into his chest and rested against his neck. He held her tightly. He took in her smell and her warmth. He truly felt at home. He didn't want to let her go. There were too many emotions going through him. He couldn't keep them all in. "I love you, Maya," he said before he could stop himself. Zack's heart stopped, and his head seemed to cave in. He held his breath, waiting for her response.

She only held on to him tighter. "I love you, too, Zack."

Zack closed his eyes and held on to her as tight as he could. He felt dizzy. Her words kept swimming in his head. He wanted to know if her meaning of love matched his. He wanted to know if she meant as the friend she needed or as the girlfriend he wanted her to be, but that could wait.

All that mattered at the moment to Zack and Maya.

**Aww! 3 Zaya c': Again, I'm REALLY sorry for the long wait! It won't happen again! Sorry there wasn't a lot of Cailey in this chapter, but I wanted to get Zaya together first. Unfortunately, it's still gonna be a few chapters before Cailey actually happens…:c Barbara's still here remember, but things will start to happen don't worry! Please review and the next chapter will be up ASAP!**


	15. Confusion is in the air

**Hey guys! Again, I'm really sorry about the wait! I'll try to not do that again! As my apology, I made 2 chapters in the same day! :o Yay! I'll try to make some more this week since I'm on spring break c:**

**Chapter 15! C:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life.**

**Enjoyy!**

"Are you sure that you don't want to come?" Maya asked.

Bailey turned another page of her book. "Yeah, I'm sure. I finally have time off, and I want to catch up on my reading."

Maya smirked. "Yes, because when I think of free time, I think of lovely books to read."

"You're so much like Zack," she said.

She stopped brushing her hair. "Anyways… do you think that you and Cody will be okay here all by yourselves?"

Bailey closed her book. "What does that mean?"

She chuckled. "Nothing at all. It was just a question." Bailey didn't believe her, but she nodded anyway. Maya's grin faded a bit. "Bailey, I really want to apologize for how I've been acting toward you lately."

"Don't apologize. I more than understand it. Breakups are hard," Bailey reassured.

"No, it's not really about that. It's about Holden." Maya turned away for a moment.

She sighed. "I didn't do anything with him, Maya. I don't have any interest in him. Besides, I'd tell you if I did."

"I know but whatever happened or didn't happen really upset Cody. I know what that feels like, and I couldn't stand seeing him so upset. Can you understand that?" Maya asked.

Bailey wasn't sure what to say. She knew that it would not be wise to say going to the dance with Holden was a part of the plan. "Yeah, I understand, but making Cody upset was never my intention. I didn't think that it would matter so much in the first place. He has a girlfriend." She looked down at last statement.

Maya gave her a look. "You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you? Come on, Barbara Brownstein? She is not his girlfriend."

Her statement made Bailey laugh. "Then what is she?"

She shrugged and tied her shoelaces. "I don't know, more like a distraction, I guess." She got up and grabbed her purse. "We should be back soon. Carey only needs to pick up a few things before everyone starts arriving in a few days. Zack and I will keep an eye on her."

"Good luck," Bailey said, giving her the thumbs up. Maya grinned and headed toward the door. "Maya, wait."

"Yeah?" she asked, stopping just outside the door.

Bailey tapped her fingers on her leg. "A distraction for what?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "I'll let you figure that one out." She gave her a wink and left the suite. Bailey tried to get back to her book. She really did want to read, but she did not want to be cooped up in her room alone. She took her book and glided into her slippers. She slowly walked out. She made herself hot chocolate and entered the living room. It was the perfect place for reading. However, the room was already occupied.

Cody was on the floor in front of the fire, wrapping presents. Bailey leaned against the wall and grinned. He was so concentrated on wrapping the gifts. He worked quietly and delicately. There was a side to Cody that most people did not care to notice. There was something so deep and precise about him. There was sensitivity and perfection underneath his intelligent and somewhat sarcastic exterior. Bailey knew that side. She had seen it time and time again. She was in love with that special part of him. She took another sip of her chocolate.

Cody looked up. "Hey, how long have you been there?"

"Not long," she answered, coming into the room and sitting next to him on the rug. "Wrapping presents I see."

Cody grinned beautifully. "Don't bother looking for yours. I wrapped it and hid it a long time ago."

She laughed. "That's just my luck."

"Well, you can help me with these." Cody gestured to unwrapped boxes.

"Sure," she said, taking a box. "Does it matter what paper I use?"

"No, whatever you think will look nice. I'm sure that you know a lot more about this sort of thing than I do," he said.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing fine," she reassured.

"Well, after the third try, anyone is bound to pick it up." He tied a ribbon and placed it on a box.

"I didn't know that you had so many people to give presents to," she said as she wrapped a box.

Cody sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His fingers got lost in his golden strands. Bailey was mesmerized. "I didn't realize it either. I have you, Zack, Maya, London, Marcus, Bob, Woody, Addison, Mr. Moseby, Ms. Tutweiller, my parents, and…Barbara. Hers is right there."

Bailey looked to where Cody gestured. It made her laugh it was easy to tell which one was hers. The wrapping paper was hot pink as was the bow. It was a tiny box. It made her heart jump. "What did you get her?"

"Um, some earrings. Last time we were in One of a Kind, she told me about how she lost a favorite pair. I knew the story was more of a hint than a real story. The ones I got her look just like them," he explained.

Bailey rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. Using guilt against Cody to make him do things was becoming more and more of Barbara's style. "That's very sweet of you."

"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled. They were silent. Bailey wrapped the presents and watched Cody. They were so close. She could feel his warmth. He looked so stunning in the firelight.

He looked up as she was staring at him. She immediately turned away and blushed terribly. "So, w-why didn't you go out with the others?"

"I wanted to get this finished, and I don't like shopping," he said.

When Bailey thought that it was safe to look up, she did. Ron was gazing into the fire. "I know what you mean. It's a gorgeous day for reading."

He turned to her and laughed. "Doing a science experiment would be more efficient."

"Oh, please. Reading a book is way more relaxing then doing a science experiment. Okay, that's my last one," she said, finishing the bow and setting the gift on the table.

"Thanks, I got done in half the time," Cody said cheery.

"You're welcome," she said.

Cody exhaled deeply and leaned against the couch. Bailey took a chance and did the same. He turned to her. "Bailey, I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked confused.

He moved a little closer to her. "For the way I've been treating you lately. Well, for how I've been since the dance."

"Please, don't apologize for that," she said.

Cody placed his hand on hers. It was big, soft, and warm against her skin. She melted against his touch. While touches from Holden and Moose made Bailey feel frigid, a touch from Cody instantly relaxed her. Cody's touches had always made her feel safe and they felt so good. She wondered what her touches did to him, or if he felt anything at all. "No, I do. I had no right to get upset with you. Regardless of how I feel about Holden, it's not my business or my place to tell you what you can and can't do with him. My opinion doesn't matter."

Bailey took her hand into his. She laced her fingers between his and squeezed. "That's the thing, Cody; I didn't do anything with him. Everyone thinks I did and I know that Holden probably isn't helping to persuade people to the right idea, but it doesn't matter. I did not sleep with him. I-I barely let him touch me." For some reason her saying that to Cody made her body heat up. She could feel herself blushing.

Cody looked at her. His bright blue eyes didn't leave her. "Really?" His voice was soft and gentle.

"Really, Cody, I didn't and I would never. You're also wrong. It does matter what you think. I would never date someone who would come between us. You are and will always mean more to me than some guy. You're too important for me to lose." The words were honest, and she felt amazing telling him the truth for once. She looked him in the eyes regardless of fear. She wanted him to know.

He tightened the grip on her hand. "That's how I feel, too. I think that's why I got so upset. Holden…he's just terrible, and he's terrible for you."

She smirked. "Oh, really, so, who is right for me?" Cody turned away and shrugged. "What, you have no opinion?" silently hoping he would say himself.

He turned back to her. "You deserve…someone else. Someone better." He had a serious expression on his face, and his tone was just as serious.

Bailey could feel the sweat and heat between their held hands. She had to let go before she started shaking. She rubbed her palm on her leg. "Well, I could say the same thing about you, Cody. You ran off as well."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but we didn't do anything."

"And that's why she's mad at you?" she asked.

"Don't say it like that. We're just having some issues right now. Anyway, that's not the point. I want you to know that I didn't do anything with her. It's-it's important that you know that," Cody said, taking her hand back.

"Good, I'm glad you didn't, Cody," Bailey said quietly.

Cody slowly smiled. "I'm glad you didn't do anything with Holden." Bailey returned his smile and squeezed his hand once more. It was perfect. _Cody_ was perfect. The door opened. He immediately let go of Bailey's hand and got up.

"Cody, come see what I got for your father!" Carey said.

Cody grinned and held out a hand for Bailey. She took it and he helped pull her up. "Thanks," she said.

He smirked. "Anytime."

They went into the kitchen. The table was overcrowded with bags. "Wow, you got a lot of stuff, Carey," Bailey said.

"She couldn't stop. Maya and I tried our best to make sure mum didn't buy out all the stores in Boston," Zack explained.

"Or put us out on the streets," Cody mumbled.

"Oh, I didn't do that badly, did I Maya?" Carey asked.

Maya scratched her head. "Oh, um, no, not at all, mom. London usually makes three trips like this back and forth to the shops."

"See, I told you, dear," Carey said.

Zack rolled her eyes and so did Cody. "So, what did you get dad?" Cody asked.

Maya laughed. "You don't want to know." She searched for a bag and pulled out a very expensive looking teal guitar.

"Wow that looks…expensive," Cody said taking it gently from Maya and studying it.

Carey beamed, "Yes it is! It cost me almost $5,000."

"Where did you find it?" Bailey asked amazed.

"In some weird music shop that we didn't know existed," Maya explained.

"Yeah, they have guitars, keyboards, drum kits, and every instrument you can think of," Zack explained to Bailey.

"Well, I'm not sure about all that stuff, but I know about these. Kurt told me years ago he wanted to have a teal one," Carey said excitedly.

"But it's so heavy," Bailey said struggling to hold it.

"Well, I know Kurt's been using much heavier guitars so it won't bother him…at least I hope not," Carey said.

"Can you play it?" Cody whispered to Bailey, gazing at guitar in her hands.

Bailey laughed and strummed it. "Yep, but I'm not going to right now. Zack and I will explain when your dad opens it up." She made the mistake of looking up at Cody. He was staring at her. She was so close to his face that she could feel his breath. She felt her knees shake.

"Well, we need to put all this away so I can start dinner," Carey said.

Cody turned away. "Okay, mom."

Bailey finally exhaled when he walked away.

The rest of the day was nice. The guilt and shame that Bailey had felt over the past few weeks seemed to be dissolving. Time away from school and some of the people who stressed her out seemed to be helping. However, her situation with Cody was still up in the air. Things were getting better. They were talking and were closer than ever before. However, there was still this wall between them that Bailey didn't know how to break.

"Maybe you should just tell him now," Zack said with a shrug. They were alone in his room while Cody and Maya helped hide presents.

"Well, thank you for your magnificent words of wisdom," Bailey said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

Zack laughed, "Sorry, but that's all I have. Things seem to be going great between you two. What's wrong with saying it now?

"I don't know. I think that is the main reason why I am so afraid to say anything. Things are great at the moment, but what if I tell him and he reacts badly to it? I couldn't stand the idea of us not being the way we are now." Bailey leaned against the banister of Cody's bed and thought about how beautiful and warm everything was when he was around her.

"So, what's your plan?" Zack asked. He laid down on his bed.

"I'm not sure. I keep telling myself that he will say something, but I don't know. I guess that's hypocritical of me," she answered dully.

Zack chuckled. "Just a bit, Bailey."

She threw a pillow at him. "Oh, like you're so wise. What about you? Have you told Maya yet?"

He sat back up. "Actually, I did."

Bailey's jaw dropped. "Really, you told her?"

"Don't get your hopes up. I just told her that I love her," Zack said causally.

She got up and sat next to him. "And what did she say?"

Harry smiled broadly. "She said that she loves me."

Bailey's heart skipped a beat. She wrapped her arms around Zack's shoulders and squeezed him. "Oh, Zack, I'm so happy for you. No wonder she's been so cheerful lately." She pulled away and realized that Zack wasn't nearly as excited as she was.

"Well, it wasn't exactly as romantic as it sounds. We were talking about her breakup with Bob. She was upset, we hugged, and I said it. I think she assumed that I was just saying it to comfort her, and I'm pretty sure she meant it as friendship. I didn't exactly clarify what I meant." Zack sighed and kicked at the floor. "Things are going so well. I'm afraid telling the truth will ruin anything. She loves Bob. She told me that. Even though she wanted to break up, she still loves him."

Bailey was not sure what to say to Zack. She didn't have any comforting words for him because she felt the same way. No matter what she wanted to say to Cody or what she wanted to do, he was in a relationship. He was with Barbara and even though it killed her inside, she had to honor it and support him.

"That may very well be the case, Zack, but she loves you. Maya loves you and I think when she said it, she meant it as she has since she was twelve. She wants you," Bailey said. She smiled and rubbed his back. It seemed to do the trick. Zack smiled and nodded slightly as if he agreed.

It was hard for Bailey to get to sleep that night. She had too much on her mind. She turned over again and tried to fluff her pillow. "Having trouble sleeping?" Maya asked.

"God! I didn't know you were awake, sorry," Bailey said, jumping slightly from fright.

Maya chuckled. "Didn't mean to scare you. Don't worry. You didn't wake me. I can't really get to sleep."

"Me neither," Bailey said. She grabbed her flashlight and lit it toward Maya's direction.

Maya lit hers and faced her. "Anything on your mind?"

"A lot actually," she said.

Maya nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you?" Bailey asked.

She sighed and sat up in her bed. "I don't know what to do."

"About what?" Bailey asked, sitting up in her bed as well.

"I feel better," she said.

Bailey gave her a look. "I didn't know that was a bad thing."

Maya laughed. "No, I mean I feel better…with Zack. He's been really great."

"He cares about you a lot, Maya," she said.

Maya smiled. "I know but I don't think that I should be feeling this good. I told myself that I wouldn't get this way again. Everything I've worked so hard to build seems to be falling apart."

"Maybe it's supposed to. Maybe it's a sign that this is how it's supposed to be," Bailey explained.

She didn't seem convinced. "I don't know. I miss Bob. He texted me, but I haven't texted him back. I really care about him."

Bailey waited for her to continue. When she didn't she added, "I feel a but coming on."

"A major but. I think that I'm getting too close to Zack. He told me that he loved me the other day. I know it was just to comfort me, but it got to me. It's what I've always wanted to hear from him. I told him I loved him, too, but I know that he didn't think anything of it," Maya said.

Bailey had to bite her tongue to keep from blurting out the truth. It was Zack's place to tell, not hers. "Maybe you should talk to him about it."

"And say what? I don't want to jump into this. I haven't even figured out what I'm going to do about Bob. He'll be waiting for me to have an answer when we get back to school. I don't know what I'm going to say to him or to Zack." Maya's eyes were massive. She looked so lost and lacked all the confidence that she normally had.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You can't leave them both unanswered," Bailey said.

Maya rolled her eyes. "I can say the same about you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Please. You may fool Cody with it, but that's thing I don't have in common with him," Maya said. "I know that you love him. Why haven't you said anything?"

Bailey wasn't sure if she should play it off or if she should tell the truth. She searched for words but wasn't sure of what to say. "He's with Barbara," was all she could come up with.

"I'm sure if you told him that you'd rather it be you instead of her that he kissed, he would soon leave her," Maya joked.

She didn't find it funny. "It's not like that, Maya. Even if I did like him…I don't think he feels the same way I do-uhh-would. He seems to be very happy with Barbara. He bought her a gorgeous pair of earrings."

Maya wasn't impressed. She made a fake gagging noise. "Whatever. It's just another material item. That doesn't mean anything, Bailey, and you know it. She would probably cry all over the place if he didn't give them to her. Why are you giving me all of this advice but not taking your own? Why aren't you going after Cody? I hope that you're not waiting on him. It's not going to work that way."

Bailey felt irritated. She knew Maya was right, but she didn't want her to be. She didn't like the focus on her. "I think I'm going to make some tea to help me relax. Do you want some?"

Maya shook her head. "No, I'm okay, thanks."

Bailey quickly got up and slipped on her slippers. She quietly out of the room. She made her tea and walked into the living room. Once again, Cody was in there. He was snuggled up under his blanket and flipping through a Chemistry book. She smiled. Cody really was a sight. "Hmm, this is worth taking a picture of," she joked.

Cody dropped his book and swore. "Dammit, Bailey, don't do that you know I hate getting my picture taken."

She covered her giggle and joined him on the couch. "Here we meet again."

"What are you doing up this late?" he asked, picking up his book.

"I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd make some tea to calm my nerves," she said.

Cody picked up his mug and chugged the rest down. "Great minds think alike, I guess."

"And I see you that brought late night reading material," Bailey teased, gesturing toward the book.

"I needed something to do and after our talk earlier, I thought that I would give your way a try. Sort of like a trade off," he explained.

Bailey frowned at him. "What trade off? I don't remember agreeing to anything."

"Well, if I read for fun, then you have to come do an experiment with me," he said.

"Ha! We'll see about that," she mumbled.

"Please, it's fun! You love science, too," Cody urged.

"Yes, but I'm more of a book learner, not experiment learner. Besides, what if something goes wrong? Science experiments can be dangerous," Bailey said.

He rolled his eyes. "You're one of the bravest people I know. Besides, do you really think that I will let anything happen to you? I'll protect you, I promise." His words were once again sweet and gentle.

Bailey lost herself in his blue eyes again. They were so bright and open. His lips were so full and smooth. The freckles on his face gave him character and looked like specs of sugar on his pale skin. Cody was the sexiest guy in the world and the most amazing person that she had ever met. He astounded her every time. She couldn't say no to him. He was her greatest weakness. "Well, as long as we don't do anything that involves exploding chemicals, I guess it would be fine," she said, almost out of breath.

Cody smiled. "Sounds good to me." He opened his book and went back to reading as if nothing had happened. Bailey sipped her tea and tried to find comfort in the steaming liquid. The suite was freezing.

"Cold?" he asked.

"A little. I should have put socks on," she said.

"The hotel gets really cold like this at night. I'm used to it," he said.

She nodded. "It helps that you have a blanket."

Cody shrugged. "I guess so." He then turned very red. "Um, do you…do you want to share?"

Bailey felt a bit of heat on her skin. "Share the blanket?"

"Or I could get you another one if you'd like," Cody quickly added, turning redder.

"No, no, that's a great idea. Yeah, there's no need to get another one. I'll share with you, sure," she jabbered.

He grinned and pulled the end of the blanket off him. Bailey moved next to him and pulled it over her. It smelled like him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem," he said.

She looked around, trying to focus on anything but how close she was to him and how her leg touched his. All she had to do was move her face and she could have been nuzzling his neck. "Maybe I should go get a book."

"We can share this, too," Cody said, pointing to his book.

Bailey laughed. "Thank you, Cody, but Chemistry isn't exactly what I had in mind."

He nudged her shoulder. "It won't hurt you. Besides, I need to teach you some things before your big experiment."

Bailey chuckled. Her insides danced, and her heart raced. She moved even closer to Cody so that their bodies touched. He put his arm behind her, and she settled against his chest. Even through his shirt, she could feel his warm skin. He smelled so good. She wrapped her arm around his back to get more comfortable. Cody put the magazine in his lap.

"Comfortable?" he said in a somewhat shaky voice.

"Yes, you?" she asked.

"Yep," he said quietly.

Bailey couldn't look up at him. She was too afraid. "So, um, where do we start?"

"Well, let's go to page one." Ron turned the page back to the beginning. The hand that was on the couch moved to her shoulder.

"I think I know some of the basics, Cody. I do have an A in Chemistry," she said, distracted by his hand on her.

"Yeah, I know but-wait a second." He moved his arm.

Bailey moved forward a bit. "Am I hurting you?"

Cody blushed. "No, no. I just need to adjust. You can go back to where you were." She settled back against the cushion. Cody moved his arm from behind her shoulders to behind her back. He wrapped his arm around her waist so his hand rested on her hip. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, it's fine," she said just as quietly. They were so close. She tried not to think about it. "I know some of the compounds," she blurted.

"Yeah, what are they?" Ron asked. She could fell his heartbeat against her back.

"Well, there's Hydrochloric acid, water, carbon dioxide, and so many others," Bailey said. The hand that was touching Cody itched.

Cody chuckled. "That's great." He turned the page.

Bailey reached for her tea. She quickly took a sip, hoping that it would help her incredibly dry mouth. It didn't seem to. She sat back. Cody once again put his hand on her, however, in her maneuver, her shirt rose up a bit, so his hand touched the bare skin on her side. She froze. She did not know rather to pull her shirt down or leave it be. Cody's hand practically burned against her skin. Goosebumps pricked everywhere. She noticed Cody barely moved as well. Then, he slowly, almost painfully, moved his fingers. His gently dragged the tips of his nails across the side of her stomach and up and down. Bailey whimpered and jerked a bit. She couldn't help it.

Cody immediately stopped. "I'm sorry," he said hastily.

"No, don't be sorry, please, don't be sorry." Bailey finally looked up at him. His face was incredibly red.

"So, this is okay?"

It was perfectly okay in Bailey's eyes. In fact, it was the most right thing in the world. Something so natural seemed to come out of her, and Cody made her feel so in control and secure. She had no problem with him feeling her body and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had always felt that way.

"It's more than okay," she answered truthfully. She lay back against him. Cody went back to caressing her side and stomach. Wherever he touched, her skin burned with pleasure. The hand that was against him moved as well. She slowly went under his shirt and touched him. His skin was piping hot and incredibly smooth. She loved him. She loved him more than anything. She could not think. Her head felt clouded with desire.

A door creaked. Bailey practically flew away from Cody and to the other side of the couch. She gulped down her tea. He flipped open the book.

"Well, I was wondering if you had gotten lost, but I guess you're okay."

Bailey looked up. Maya was standing at the door with a wide grin on her face. Bailey opened her mouth to speak but blushed even harder than she already was.

"Do you need something, Maya?" Cody asked. She shrugged and continued to smile. He got up from the couch. "Well, I think the tea helped. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight." He gently pushed passed Maya and gave Bailey a nervous smile. She returned it.

It was not until Cody was out of sight that Maya finally let her laugh out. "So, I bet you're nice and tired now, too, right?"

Bailey was sure that if she were any redder, her face would bleed. "Goodnight, Maya." She moved past her as well and went towards her room but turned around.

Cody was standing outside of his door staring blankly at it. Bailey searched his face in fear, looking for any sign of regret in his eyes. He smiled and rubbed his neck. "Um, goodnight, Bailey."

Bailey returned his smile. She gently waved at him. "Goodnight, Cody."

He nodded. Ron turned around and went into his room. Bailey leaned against her door and exhaled deeply.

Everything was more confusing than ever.

**I'll end it here because this was a long chapter! C: Hope you liked it! Thanks so much for all your nice reviews! Keep 'em coming! It keeps me motivated to keep writing this story. **

**Okay fangirl time: AGHHH ASDFGHJKL; THAT CAILEY SCENE! –spaz attack- They. Are. Amazing. Together. I know, I know…Cody and Barbara need to break up. C; Just be patient my amazing readers! It'll happen eventually, I promise! Keep in mind, I plan to make this a VERY long story!**

**Anyways…Stay tuned for chapter 16! I won't be able to write tomorrow because I'll be working. But maybe tomorrow night if I have time! **

**Love from,**

**Sophie **


	16. What am I feeling right now, Zack?

**OMFG I AM SO FREAKING SORRY FOR THE WAIT! D: I've just been so busy lately! I also got a new computer and I had to wait a while to buy Word so I couldn't write for a while, but I am back with a new chapter! ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything :'c**

**Zack's P.O.V:**

"So, I walk into the room to see if your mom had maybe made tea because it was so cold and I find both of them, awkward and red-faced."

Zack once again burst into laughter and fell back on her bed. He loved hearing Maya's side of the story. Cody and Bailey's versions were less descriptive and a lot less humorous. "What do you think they were doing?" he asked.

Maya smirked. "I don't know, but it's a good thing that I walked in when I did. Have they changed their stories yet?"

"No, Bailey keeps telling me to grow up and that nothing happened, and Cody quickly changes the subject." It was true. Every time Zack asked either of them about it, he could not get a straight answer. However, it didn't really matter to him. He was happy that something happened regardless of what it really was. He was even happier that it was something that he and Maya could joke about in her room together.

Maya wiped the laughing tears from her eyes. "Well, that made my day."

Zack smiled at her. "Good, it's nice to see you smile and to hear you laugh."

"Really? I heard I laugh like a piglet," she said.

He raised his eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Bob. He always said that. Ask him. Giggly Piggly is what he used to call me."

"I didn't know that." Zack said annoyed at Bob now for not appreciating Maya's amazing laugh.

"Yeah, then I yelled at him and told him to never call me that again," she said confidently.

Zack gazed at her. Maya was tough and knew how to take care of herself. She was so strong and determined. However, there was a softer, less secure side to Maya that he found more endearing. He was thankful that she was letting him see that vulnerable side. He knew how hard it was to let people see weaknesses first hand.

"Well, remind me not to call you that," he said.

Maya patted him. "I'll give you one warning. You deserve that much."

Zack put his hand on hers and grinned. "You're so kind." They continued to stare at each other. The room suddenly seemed a lot smaller. It shrunk even more until it was gone and all he could see was Maya's face. Once again, his mind seemed to part from his body, and he didn't feel in control. He moved closer to her. "I'm really happy that you're feeling better," he said softly.

She slowly tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "It's because of you. You've really helped me take my mind off things. I can't help but feel better around you, Zack. You…make me feel happy."

He suddenly became slightly nervous. The room became a lot hotter. "Good, I want you to feel happy. I-I like making you feel happy."

Maya bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they were a bit unfocused. "Zack," she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go on a walk with me? I know it's cold but-"

"I'd love to," Zack answered quickly.

Her brown eyes lit up. "Really?"

He got up. "Of course, um, just let me get my coat from my room."

Maya smiled brightly. "Okay, I'll be here."

Zack practically fell off her bed. He giggled like a drunken man and slowly exited her room. He was sure that Maya made a noise as he closed the door behind him. He quickly ran to his and Cody's room. He could not wait to walk around in the snow with her. It would be nice. They would be alone. Harry loved the way the white flakes looked in Maya's brown hair. He opened the door and froze. Cody was on his bed completely still. He looked toward the tiny window. He barely blinked and he seemed completely washed out.

"Cody," he said softly, coming into the room. He didn't move. Zack walked over to him. "Cody!" he said louder.

Finally, Cody came out of wherever he was and turned to him. "Yeah?"

Zack took a seat next to him. "Are you okay?"

Cody rubbed his eyes. "Oh, I'm fine. Sorry, I didn't hear you. I was thinking about stuff."

"Like what?" Zack asked a bit worried.

Cody shrugged. "Just things, Zack. I do think sometimes."

"Don't be a jackass, Cody. You know what I mean. You can tell me what's going on. That's what brothers are for," Zack said, patting Cody's arm.

He grinned at him. "I'm sure you have better things to do."

Zack opened his mouth, but then quickly closed it. For a second he had forgotten that he was supposed to go for a walk with Maya. He wanted to go. He could easily tell Cody they could talk about it afterward, but he did not like the state that Cody was in and he was his twin brother. Zack's first duty was to him. As much as he wanted to spend time with the girl he loved, there were certain things about him that would never change. "Just give me a second."

He wasn't sure what he would say to Maya as he walked back to her room. There was something that made the situation difficult. He quietly knocked on the door. She answered right away. "Are you ready?" she asked cheerfully.

Zack tried his best not to stare. She was bundled up in her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. She looked adorable. He wanted to say yes so badly. "Actually, I can't go with you right now."

Her smile faded. "Is something wrong?"

He scratched his head. "No, not really, there's just some things that I need to take care of with Cody. I hope it's okay. We can go later if you want."

"I'd love to but your mom, Bailey, and I are going to redecorate tonight. That's why Bailey went with her to the shop remember?" Maya asked.

"Oh, that's right," he said awkwardly.

"Whatever. It's no big deal. Another time will be fine." She tried closing the door, but Zack put his foot in the way.

"Wait, Maya, I'm-I'm sorry," he said.

She smiled and shrugged. "It's okay, Zack. Go take care of your business with Cody." Zack sighed and moved his foot out of the door. Maya practically slammed it in his face. He wanted to fix things, but he had to take care of Cody first.

When he got back into the room, Cody was in the same spot. "Okay, what is going on? Why do you look so out of it?" Cody didn't look at him, but merely shrugged. "Is it because of what happened? I heard you had quite the night with Bailey," Zack cheeked, trying to make Cody smile. It didn't work. He sat next to him again.

Cody took a deep breath and turned to him. "You want to know what happened?" Zack nodded. "Okay, I was reading and she came in and joined me. We got under my blanket together, and I touched her stomach."

Zack blinked several times. He had no idea what that meant. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Cody's cheeks flushed with red color. "Well, it's complicated. She moved to get her tea and…her shirt rode up…and my hand was right there. I-I didn't move it, and she didn't want me to."

Zack had too much respect for his brother to laugh at him, so he simply grinned. "I don't see why that would cause you to look so lost."

He ran a hand through his hair. "It was intense. I mean not one bloody thing happened, but it was the most alive that I've felt in a long time. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Zack shook his head. "Not really…"

Cody rolled his eyes. "I was with Bailey. I was with Bailey Pickett who is one of my best friends. The girl I am always competing with for the highest grades in the class. I got a warm feeling inside just from being near her and it wasn't the first time."

That time, Zack was not able to keep his laughter in. "Cody, that's not a crime."

"Have you ever gotten a warm feeling inside from being close to Bailey?" he asked.

Zacl scrunched his face. "I don't think so. Not the way it sounds like you did. But I don't think it's a huge deal, Cody."

"Damnit, Zack, it is when I have a girlfriend! This isn't supposed to be happening to me. I'm supposed to be miserable because I'm not around Barbara but…" Cody trailed off and looked away.

"But you're not, right?" Zack said.

He turned back to him. "I can trust you, can't I? You won't go back and tell Bailey this?"

It is a common thing amongst twin brothers to share secrets. They automatically understand an unspoken code about not telling their information to others. It was no different for Zack and Cody. Since they could talk, they had been sharing secrets. There were things about Cody that only Zack knew just as Zack told Cody things that he would never mutter to another soul, but it was complicated now. Bailey was his best friend and some of the things that Cody had told him, he had passed on to her. It was not to betray Cody's trust but only to help Bailey bring them together. However, over the past few months, it was getting harder and harder to keep up with the lies and the secrets. Zack didn't realize that it would all take such a toll on him.

"Cody, I won't tell her. You can trust me. How many times do I have to tell you?" Zack was finally able to say.

Cody nodded slowly. "Okay, it's about the night of the Christmas dance and what happened between Barbara and I."

Zack patted his arm again. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

He rubbed his palms against his knees and took a deep breath. "Barbara looked older to start off with. You saw her. She was practically falling out of her dress to put it nicely and all that glitter didn't really help to hide her." Zack put a hand over his mouth to keep from smiling. Cody continued, "Anyway, I knew she was doing it for me. I knew that she wanted me to notice her. She is always doing that and I definitely did but god dammit, even with her dress halfway down her chest, I couldn't focus. Even when we were dancing, I could not stop thinking about Bailey and how she looked in her dress. It's different with Barbara. She looked great and sexy and all but, well, you saw Bailey, she looked beautiful, like an angel or a princess or something." A grin grew on Cody's face. He looked off as if seeing a picture of Bailey in front of him. "Her hair was so fluffy and soft and she looked so classy. Haven't you noticed how Bailey is always so damn classy, yet at the same time she can be so cow girlish too?"

"Um, yeah…all the time," Zack said smirking.

Cody rolled his eyes and blushed even harder. "Damn you, Zack. I did want to dance with her at least once. I wanted to prove that I'd matured since the last dance, but we never got the chance. I came back to the table only to find out that she ran off with Holden."

Zack felt it was a good time to cut in. "She didn't do anything with him, Cody."

"I know that, Zack. That's not the point. I didn't know it at the time, so I was fucking angry. I couldn't believe she ran off with that douche doing who knows what. So, I took Barbara to an empty classroom. I wanted to take my mind off things. I didn't want to ruin my night. That's not so bad, is it?" Cody suddenly turned to him.

"Of course not. You worked hard on the dance. It's only right that you have a good time," Zack added.

He gave him a small smile and nodded. "Right, that's what I think, too. So, we're in the classroom on the floor, see? Barbara is on my lap. We were both hot and sweaty from the dancing, so, when we started kissing, it only got hotter." Zack tried to seem interested. He honestly did not care about what Cody did with Barbara but if it helped him, he would listen. "She was kissing me, trying to touch me, moaning my name, just everything. I mean Barbara looked hot, and it felt good. It _really_ felt good if you know what I mean, Zack, but…I couldn't concentrate."

"What were you thinking about?" Zack asked curiously.

Cody sighed. "I was thinking about if Holden and Bailey were in the same position Barbara and I were in and if she was enjoying it."

Zack figured that was coming and he felt terrible. He had supported and even loved the idea of Bailey going to the ball with Holden. He had no idea that it would cause Cody so much pain and insecurity. "She didn't enjoy it, Cody. She doesn't like him."

"It doesn't matter. She went with him. I know I shouldn't care and it's not my business, but I can't help it and I couldn't stop it then, either." Cody stopped talking. He had a pained expression on his face.

"Cody, I get what you're saying, but don't you think it's a little unfair? How come you get to go with Barbara, but Bailey can't go with Holden?" It was a fair question in Zack's eyes, and he wanted to know the answer.

Cody didn't look as if he knew the answer. "Because…because…Barbara doesn't hate Bailey like Holden hates me. Holden has no respect for me and he loves making me miserable. I don't think it's like that with Barbara. Sure, they don't get along and Barbara could really keep her mouth shut sometimes, but she does have a good heart and she's just…protective of me, like you are with Maya. I think that's why you gave Bob such a hard time," he finished with a smirk on his face.

"And maybe why you gave Moose such a hard time as well?" Zack added.

Cody frowned at him. "Can we get back to it?"

"Certainly," he said with a wink.

Cody didn't seem like he wanted to smile, but he did. "So, Barbara is kissing me. She fucking grabbed me and started unzipping my pants. I knew early on in our relationship that she wanted to have sex and when I saw her in that dress, I knew that she wanted it to be that night."

Zack searched Cody's face for a hint of excitement or pride. Anything that could measure up to how he looked when talking about touching Bailey's stomach. He couldn't find it. "What about you? Did you want it?"

He chewed on his lip a bit before turning to him. "Barbara was all over me. We were making out, and I knew that she wanted me. She started to unzip my trousers, and I tried to enjoy it. I tried to live in the moment. I really did, but…I couldn't."

"Cody…" Zack started.

He shook his head. "There Barbara was, in my lap, but all I could think about was Bailey and how I couldn't wait for vacation to start so I could spend time with her. Barbara was sucking on my neck, and I hardly noticed. I was too busy thinking about wrapping Bailey's gift and wondering about if she would really like it. My girlfriend wanted to have sex, and I wanted to speed things along so I could maybe see Bailey before she went off to bed. I cared more about those possible thirty seconds with Bailey than I did about having sex with Barbara." Cody looked at him horrified as if he had just committed murder.

"Cody, it's okay, you can't help it if that's what you were feeling. There's nothing wrong with that," Zack reassured.

Cody stood up. "How could it not be? I was kissing my girlfriend who wanted to screw me, but all I could think about was Bailey! That's not even the worst part." Zack raised his eyebrows, encouraging him to continue. He took the hint. "After I told her to stop, she got mad at me because I told her that I wasn't ready. She thinks it's because I didn't want to have sex with her and not because I'm not ready to have sex." He sat back down.

Zack wasn't sure if he wanted to touch the subject, but he did. "Is that true?"

Cody looked away. He rubbed his palms against his thighs repeatedly. "I don't know. I mean it's not as if I have a lot of experience in that area, but it's not as if I don't want to. It's just…I didn't want to at the time, and I didn't want to with her. Barbara was so angry with me. She even bloody cried which I hate."

Zack rolled his eyes. "She's always crying about something, Cody."

"It doesn't matter. There's something about a girl crying and especially when it's my fault that completely does my head in. I can't stand it. I felt bad. I really did, but…" Cody stopped again and put his face in his hand.

Zack touched his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Talk to me."

Cody slowly looked back to him. "A part of me didn't care. A part of me honestly did not care about how upset she was. I knew that as soon as our fight was over, I could leave. I could count down the days until I could come here and spend time alone with Bailey." He shook his head. "Shit, it always comes back to her. No matter what, it seems to come back to Bailey."

Zack was so proud of Cody. He could understand how it was hard for him to come to terms with his feelings and with all the pain and uncertainty that had grown over the years. It was a gift that Cody possessed. However, as happy as he was for him, he felt awful. Zack wanted to tell him about their plan and about how Bailey really felt, but it was not his place. It was not a part of their agreement. It didn't help that Cody was in a state. He seemed to be in so much pain and confusion. He rubbed his back. "Dude, it's okay. You're not a bad guy."

"I am a bad guy. It shouldn't be this way. I should not be this stupid. I've moved on or at least I thought I did. I told Maya to be strong. It's only fair that I do the same thing," Cody said in a shaky voice.

"What do you mean?" Zack asked.

Cody gave him a look. "Come on, what do you think I mean? You don't actually believe that Maya has spent all this time upset just because she left Bob, do you? We both have to move on."

Zack gawked at him. "How do you know she left Bob?"

Cody gave him a puzzled look. "She's one of my good friends. We do talk. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that I can't do this. I can't think about Bailey all the time while dating Barbara, and I certainly can't let things get out of hand, like they almost did on the couch. Shit, it's been so fucking hard. She is always on my mind. Even that morning, when I was saying goodbye to Barbara, I found a way to bring Bailey into my thoughts."

"What do you mean?" Zack asked.

"That's why it took me so long. I was talking to Barbara, trying to calm her down, promising her that I wouldn't cheat on her or forget about her over holiday. What does that say about me, that even as I'm promising my girlfriend that I won't forget her, I'm feeling excited because I get to leave with Bailey? It's even more pathetic because I know Bailey wasn't thinking about me or feeling excited to spend time with me. It doesn't matter, though. What does that mean that I don't care?" he asked.

Zack for once had an answer. He knew what Cody meant exactly. "I think you know what it means, Cody. It's just a matter of letting yourself realize what's really always been there. If all of this is so hard, maybe something is supposed to change." It felt like something Bailey would say. It always did the trick for him, and he hoped that it would work for Cody.

He smiled at him. "When did you get so much insight?"

"Well, while you've been so busy with Barbara the past few months, I've spent a lot of time in the library with Bailey. I've picked up on a few things," Zack said.

It made Cody laugh. "I hope you've only been reading in there."

"Trust me, that's all," Zack reassured him. "So, what do you think you're going to do?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. There's too much to work out. Wow, talking about feelings really tires me out. Right now, all I want to do is sleep."

Zack stood up. "Sounds brilliant, I'll probably go for a walk. I could use some air."

Cody smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure that's all you could use."

"You're so very clever, Cody," Zack said. He held out his hand. "Are you going to be okay?"

Cody shook it. "Yes. I'm okay, thanks for listening to me."

"No problem, I'm always here for you. You know that. That's what twins are for." Zack couldn't take Cody's pain away. He couldn't force him to see the truth, but he could listen and sometimes that's all a person needed. Zack so desperately wanted to talk to Cody about Maya. He wanted his insight and advice, but now wasn't the time. Right now Cody needed to figure out what he wanted to do with Barbara and Bailey.

"Yeah, I do, I appreciate it," Cody said with a smile.

Zack nodded and made his way to the door. He turned around, seeing Cody get under his covers. He smiled at his brother. "You sure you're okay?"

Cody rolled his eyes. "Zack, you don't have to be mom. I'm okay, I swear. If not, then I'll come find you, okay? Now, go have fun, now!" Zack laughed and opened the door. "Wait," Cody added. Zack turned back around. He looked away for a moment before turning back to him. "Thanks, really, I needed that."

Zack smiled. "I could tell. I'm proud of you, Cody. I know you and I know you probably think that I consider you some sort of heartless dick or something, but I don't. You-you don't have one heartless bone in your body. If you start to think that, then I'll have to kick your ass." Cody laughed and rubbed his neck. Zack was never good at expressing his emotions. However, Cody seemed to get what he was trying to say. He lay back against his pillows. Zack quietly closed the door.

There was so much going through him. He was so excited and relieved yet confused and anxious. He wanted to tell Bailey everything. He wanted her to know she was not alone and that her soul mate was sleeping in the room next to her but he couldn't. His loyalty to Bailey was overlapped to his loyalty to his own brother. He couldn't tell, not this. He still wanted his word to be good for something. Zack knocked on Maya's door.

She answered. "Yes, Zack?"

He smiled. "I'm ready to go on that walk."

She tucked hair behind her ear. "Well, that's nice, but now is not a good time. Bailey and your mom will be here soon."

"We'll know when they get here. We can still go," Zack offered.

She didn't seem too thrilled by his idea. "No, really, I think I'll stay here."

"Maya, what's wrong with you? You aren't mad at me, are you?" Zack could see fire in her eyes but it wasn't from passion. She was angry.

She tapped her foot. "No, I'm not mad, Zack. I just don't feel like walking with you right now."

"What did I do?" Zack asked getting annoyed.

"Don't be like this. Don't get all defensive. If you can cancel on me, then I can do the same," she answered.

Zack rolled his eyes. "I knew it. I knew you were mad."

"Wow, gold star goes to Mr. Martin," Maya cheeked.

"There's no need to act that way. I'm sorry, okay?" Zack didn't want to fight. He couldn't understand what the big deal was.

"Well, I'm sorry, too, but oh well, move on, I have," Maya said softly.

"Now what does that mean?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. It means nothing. It's just…I wanted to do something with you, but you blew me off."

"I told you that I had to take care of some things with Cody," Zack said.

She nodded. "Hmm, now, was this before or after we made plans?"

He wasn't sure of what to say. "Well…after, but it doesn't mean that I didn't want to still go with you…I just…I just…"

"You just what, Zack? You had to forget me so you could go talk to Cody. I guess some things never change. No matter what, I'm just one of the many girls that you date for a while and then grow bored of." Maya spat.

His jaw dropped. "Maya, that's not fair. It's not like that at all. Cody's my twin brother. He needed me, and I had to be there. I'd think as his friend, you would appreciate that."

She stomped her foot. "Yes, Zack, of course I'm glad that you were there for Cody. You are always there for Cody. You always have been and you always will be but…what about me? I know there is this undying love and loyalty between you, Bailey, and Cody, and that you and Cody are the Dream Team. I love that about you, and I always will. It wouldn't even matter if I didn't. I have no choice. I've had to stand by and watch it since I got on the boat!"

Zack couldn't take it anymore. "Shut up, Maya! You are being so fucking selfish right now. I'm sorry I made you wait. I am sorry that I didn't drop my brother to go for a walk with you. Is that what you want to hear?"

Maya frowned. "No, Zack, I don't, but I don't want your shit about how you care about my feelings, but you don't mind forgetting me. It shouldn't be that way."

"Then how should it be?" he asked.

She sighed. "Like this, I guess. You should walk away, and I should close my door. See you at dinner, Zack." She quickly closed the door in his face.

Zack leaned against it and slid down. He didn't know what to do anymore. He wasn't sure where his loyalty should stand. He didn't mean to upset Maya so much. It had to mean something that she was so upset. After a while, he got up, walked downstairs, and went outside.

He really did want to go for a walk. He just wished it didn't have to be alone.

**I think I'll end it here c: I think this was a good chapter to write after the long wait. You FINALLY get to hear what Cody's been thinking. I know Bailey wasn't in this one, but she'll be in it again soon c: Don't worry Zaya isn't over! Poor Zack's caught in the middle of everything I know :c Don't worry things will get better for all of them eventually! Until next time, thanks for reading! C: Make sure to leave your reviews and I'll write another chapter ASAP! Love you all! **

**-Sophie c:**


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